Dávid from Zambia – XIII. Blog Post

I really love going to the market, and I have good reasons for it.
The atmosphere at the market is always great. There's a wide and high-quality selection of vegetables and fruits. The freshly baked sausages and blood sausages (with plenty of mustard, of course) are delicious and affordable. On top of that, being able to haggle with the sellers is always fun, and most of the time, I know that with my money, I'm supporting local small and large-scale producers.

Here in Zambia, fortunately, there are plenty of markets. A ton of people sell things they've grown themselves or bought from others. It's somewhat similar to a local market back home, but it's louder, busier, messier, and dirtier – but maybe that's what makes the local market culture here so special.

After two months of experience, we can pretty much tell how much things should cost. If we don't shop in a mall, everything usually ends up being double the price for us because we're a few shades lighter, but at least 25% more expensive. We're not stressing about it, though – we were prepared for this from the start. However, over the past few weeks, we've managed to build some solid trusting relationships with a few local vendors. So now, around week 8, we can say that we're buying things at Zambian prices – and that's a big deal! Actually, it's a real success for us… Isn't that awesome? You bet it is.

By the way, here, tomatoes taste like tomatoes. Carrots taste like carrots. Cucumbers taste like cucumbers. None of them taste like water or have faded colors. There are no "army fruits and vegetables" here. Every single one looks completely different, and sometimes they taste better on their own than in a dish…

~ March Highlights