Column: Biting into London street food

This week, I stepped away from Paris and its bread and wine, and went to London, the land of tea and deep-fried fish.

But what I actually found and where I found it astonished me.

The Borough Markets are a series of food stands that take over the surrounding space underneath a rail bridge. Combined, they make one of the largest and oldest food markets in London.

Imagine how happy a foodie like me was when I walked under the bridge and found myself surrounded with countless foods and snacks.

Scratch that. I was happy even before I set foot inside — I could smell the street food before I saw it. Smoke from freshly grilled German sausage blew toward me from across the street.

At its barest roots, Borough Markets reminded me of the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market, if it were multiplied a couple times and you took out the Amish farmers. There was a variety of specialty and ready-made food.

There’s nothing like it in Paris, that’s for sure. In fact, it was nice to hop across the pond while also hopping out of the French food bubble.

First of all, markets in France are designed for grocery shopping. Unless you want to snack on fresh fruits, cheeses and raw fish, you don’t really hang out in them.

London had an entire new way to taking the market concept and making it fun for even non-foodies. For one thing, I got to eat street food for the first time in months.

If there was nothing else to take away from the Borough Markets, the one thing anyone should remember is the wide variety of street food available.

Yes, London can be known for its wide array of newspaper-wrapped, take-away fish and fries. But when you’re faced with chorizo-topped paella, curry and corned beef sandwiches, you have to do a double take.

Now that I am safely tucked back into my apartment in Paris, I’d have to say the best souvenir I brought back from London is currently sitting in my host family’s fridge.

No matter how much tourist traps will try to lure us in, a union jack-emblazoned teddy bear or snow globe will only collect dust on a shelf.

For me, finding a little edible trinket in a street market is the best because not only do I get to bring home a sample of another country’s culture, but also it will most likely not be too expensive.

Also, in the event that I over pack my suitcase with cookies and tea, it is definitely not hard to eat and make room.

audperki@indiana.edu
@AudreyNLP