The Buenos Aires Market

There’s really nothing better on a sunny, springtime Buenos Aires day than trucking over to the Bosques de Palermo (en bici, of course), to dodge the slow walking-mate drinking pedestrians, collide with erratic bike riding children, and watch pre-teens on roller skates eat shit hard on the pavement.

You might think it wasn’t possible for the Bosques to get any busier on the weekends, but thanks to food website Planeta Joy, healthy restaurants, organic farmers and producers of natural products have taken over this green space, converting it into a colorful, mini urban market.

Held one weekend each month (first premiered in April 2012 on Avenida Caseros in San Telmo), over 50 stands consisting of organic vegetables, olive oil, artisanal wine and beer, cheeses, jams, canned goods soy products, chocolates and more, make up this one-stop market shop, while there are about 10 stands dedicated to healthy-ish street-like food to eat in the moment.

While it’s tough to compare this to a proper Farmers’ Market, this more upscale hipteño version (porteño + hippies, you know the type – think flowy patterned pants and head scarves) offer a solid variety of hard to find products all in one centralized location. Here are a few highlights from the weekend.

Look at these fun potatoes from Madame Papín, I kinda want to sport that papín andino necklace.

It wouldn’t be a food fair without an abundance of olive oil, with over 6 different stands selling the oily stuff, I went with the brand Olibó – if you are looking for a stronger olive oil that’s still an affordable price, go with this one.

And of course the glorified miel making a mercado appearance. If you thought there is just one type of real honey, guess again. Estancia las Quinas makes a very interesting product, offering an assortment of honey flavors. They also make a line where each type of honey is from a different provincia.

Cheesebus Christ! There was so many different cheese stands, it was hard to choose which lucky one would get to come home with me. While I’m a big fan of La Choza (especially the yogurt), I thought I’d try something  new. Cabras de Cafayate ají flavored goat cheese.

Veggie delights from El Rincón Orgánico.

While they did have some produce, overall it was a bit disappointing the lack of stands selling fresh fruits and vegetables. When I think of a market, I want to see a whole section devoted to in season ingredients, not just a few stands of limited organic produce.

The giant mushrooms were quite excellent.

Chocolates and chupetines.

Los Pelones won the award for one of the cutest presentation for their jams and other canned / jarred products.

Ricco representing with their sea salt and condiment collection. Sorry girls, that’s not a basket of vibrators.

Think I need to get this poster.

Branca, 1882 and Beney?

All you need is a sign that says, ‘pastas frescas,’ and the crowds will flock.

Hello mini urban herb garden.

Super cute prints from Violraviol, think aprons, changuitos, baskets, pillows. They just opened up a store in Palermo Hollywood, score!

Awesome breads and baked goods from Próspero Velasco. Once I went to their bakery and they yelled at me for attempting to take a photo, so I’m anti. But unfortunately they do make a pretty bomb pastelería.

Baking BA is even more delicious than I remembered – way to represent with their cinnamon rolls, Toll House cookies, blueberry muffins and homemade chocolates. These aren’t just any Argie version, they taste like the real deal.

HierbaBuena, a healthy San Telmo restaurant favorite, had an insanely long line for their food to-go and refreshing drinks. You know that smokey, insanely addictive eggplant mayo they serve at their restaurant with the bread? They sold it in little jars, a must buy even at a steep 20 pesos. I really need that recipe.

Snozberries taste like snozberries. Did you know a snozberry was codeword for a cock? And on a site note, pictured above: a refreshing lemonade raspberry smoothie.

I spy Natural Deli.

And how about a massive serving of soy ice cream? I didn’t try it, because helado de soja sounds a bit rank, but the helado dude was certainly putting on a show.

Who needs the choripan-bondiola cart a few meters away when you can spend the same amount of money on tofu on a stick?! Mmm mmm…

When first hearing about the BA Market, I assumed it was just a marketing Palermo Queens-esque scam to sell overpriced organic miel. The press coined it as one of the first *real* markets in Buenos Aires (whatever that means), as if just translating the word to English suddenly makes it something new. They mentioned that it was inspired by Farmers’ Markets in the US. Hard to be a farmers’ market when the majority of vendors aren’t farmers, and it seemed they had forgotten all about BA’s long tradition of mercados in the city: Sabe la Tierra in San Fernando, El Galpón organic market in Chacarita, Mercado del Progreso, Mercado de Belgrano, Mercado de Liniers and not to mention the many roaming markets, ferias itinerantes, all across the city.

Health food street fest meets open aired market, the Buenos Aires Market still makes for a lovely way to spend your weekend in the city.

More photos of the food goodness at the Buenos Aires Market.

Future dates for the Buenos Aires Market 2013:

March: 16 y 17 / Bosques de Palermo
April: 13 y 14 / Barrancas de Belgrano
May: 11 y 12 / Bosques de Palermo
June: 22 y 23 / Parque Rivadavia, Caballito
July: 13 y 14 / Bosques de Palermo
August: 17 y 18 / Plaza San Martín
September: 14 y 15 / Bosques de Palermo
October: 12 y 13 / La Boca – Usina del Arte
November: 23 y 24 / Bosques de Palermo

**I regretfully recommend this event, I’m totally salty that the Buenos Aires Market keeps JACKING my photos and posting them online and in print flyers / advertisements. What’s up with well known magazines and newspapers stealing poor food writer’s photos without giving any credit?! (AHEM, I’m talking to you Glamout, Revista Maru Botana, Minutouno).

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