Every Saturday...

...is Pazaar day. The Didim pazaar or farmer's market is amazing! It is in a new space since my mom and dad were here. Most of it is locally produced except the chiquita bananas. The weather is so warm here that like California there is a great selection of fruits and vegetables. Going to the pazaar is a big job though and every Saturday our little family battles over who wants to go. Birsen(Caglar's mother) and Caglar don't love the pazaar and Ali(caglar's father) LOVES it but he is too sick to go brave the crowd. Pinar(sister) and I love it but not everyday of course. Anyways this last Saturday Caglar and I went.














Here is me ready to head in...It is a bit chaotic.


















Even though this picture is blurry I wanted to add it. This cute kid helping his family sell the Mandolinas(I don't know if they are mandarin oranges or different but so delicious, little sweet and little tart together in one juicy bite). How I understand is there is a pazaar everyday in surrounding cities and these family have a circuit they sell their produce through. Sometimes it's the farmers themselves who sell it but mainly these people buy from the farmer's and then sell. All of the produce is hauled around in those wooden crates behind him.


















Look at this adorable little guy with his nuk (pasafire what ever you may call it). He was on a mission to push around that big cart. I am guessing his parents work the pazaar as well.














Here is a full view inside with it's many people, huge cabbages, beets, califlowers, radishes and celery root in this photo alone.


















This woman had carrots, huge leeks, lettuce and greens of all kinds.


















We bought some onions and potatoes from this women. The sign says 3 kilos(about 6 pounds) of onions for one lira(The exchange rate is currently $1=1.6 YTL)...wow! There is an art to the pazaar if you would like to make it into one. First you take a look around, scope out the scene if you will and check out the variety...then decide on where to buy. But Caglar usually goes to the first one he sees. Get in and get out is another way to stay sane! Most of it is good anyways.














You can buy pieces of pumpkin.


















Beautiful mandolina display.


















This is a gorgeous mix of colors...persimmons, chestnuts and pinkish raisins.


















Zucchinni, lemons,two kinds of peppers little spicy ones and green bell, broccolli, arugula


















All kinds of nuts,amazing pistachios here, salted peanuts, hazelnuts. I had some tasty peanuts covered with sweet sesame seeds.


















A Turkish coffee grinder. Turkish coffee is made in a small metal pan(like thing) and you add a spoonful of coffee for each cup as well as an espresso cup size amount of water and you boil it all together. Add sugar before you boil if needed. It has a good taste but I don't like how there are grinds in the coffee, no filter. It is served in small coffee/espresso cups.


















This is a view inside a cheese man cart...yuuuuummmmmmmmmmyyy! The cheeses here are great. They are always white but the variety of textures and flavors is delicious. We picked up several along with suzme yogurt. Yogurt is a whole other level here in Turkey as well. In America I would eat yogurt every morning for breakfast with fruit and granola(kinda miss that option) but here yogurt is savory not sweet. It is eaten with most lunches and dinners. It is thick, creamy...fabulous. Thick Suzme yogurt has an even stronger, concentrated flavor since most of the water is removed.


















The variety of olives and some sausages. There is amazing honey available.


















All for a little para!!!