Aleppo, Syria

You find yourself in a Near Eastern bazaar and see something like this for sale. Of what value are they? As the fibrous roots of what has become known as the toothbrush tree, they are the best you can buy for brushing your teeth. Miswak dates back to the pre-Islamic past, but the fact that the prophet Muhammad used it regularly assured its continued use. [2001]

Kansas City, Missouri, USA

It looks a little too modern to be historical, but better than nothing to proclaim pride in city history. Some cities do a good job at preserving buildings. Others excel at preserving ensembles of buildings and landmarks that add up to historical landscapes. [2021]

Belle Fontaine, Alabama, USA

Before these tomatoes ripened to a bright red, they were green. Some of their brethren were probably hauled off to a frying pan to make fried green tomatoes. In this month's issue of the Food Channel Magazine, which U.S. state was assigned fried green tomatoes as its most representative taste? The answer is in the title to this post. [2017]

Ljubljana, Slovenia

Built space vs. open space: Cities have to work hard to get the right balance. The purpose of both spaces is to serve the needs of people. But don't expect every space to be crowded all the time. Expect the market here to be alive with activity on Friday mornings and abandoned on Sunday mornings. Expect just the opposite from the cathedral next door. [2008]

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

 

These berries look a little rough, or raspy, on the surface, and that is probably how they got their name: raspberries. If you find some from Île d'Orléans for sale in Quebec, buy them! Île d'Orléans is known as the Garden of Quebec and has served in that role for centuries. It is located in what geographers would call Von Thünen's inner ring. [2018]

Tel Aviv, Israel

Watermelons were originally known as gourd apples: mēlopepon in Greek. It is doubtful, though, that they looked much like these large, richly-colored, water-engorged hybrids, which were grown in Israel. Why would a desert culture grow something so water-demanding? Because, historically, they could be put in storage and used later to slake all thirst. [2010]

Bucharest, Romania

Peaches were originally known as Persian apples. In fact, that is where the name peach comes from: Persia. Even in the Romanian language, we acknowledge one of the ancient world's greatest empires when we say piersici. Look at other languages: In French, it is pêche, in Italian pesca, in German pfirsich, and in Finnish persikka. [2014]

Fuheis, Jordan

Markets in the Euro-American world don't typically offer hens for sale. Yet, only a century ago even town dwellers had a few chickens in the back yard so they could have fresh eggs in large quantities and chicken soup now and then. For Americans, seeing what's available in Middle Eastern suqs is a bit like turning the clock back a hundred years. [2001]

THE BACKSTORY ~ Posted on the 12th Anniversary of Geographically Yours, 4 August 2022: Amazing how few pictures of Jordan have been posted on Geographically Yours! Amazing because I lived there for three months in 2001 (still looking for the pictures I took). I was a visiting scholar at the American Center of Oriental Research in Amman. My project was on the Christian population of Jordan. Every day, I would return to the library at ACOR and type up my field notes for the day. These are from March 16, 2001: “Passed up the Friends of Archaeology Tour to go to Fuheis. The mini-bus there costs only 150 fils. Fuheis is not far, just on the other side of the ridge from Suweillah. It is a Christian village. From several sources I have now heard that Muslims do not own property in Fuheis, although they live there. There seems to be a ‘conspiracy’ among the Christians to keep the town totally Christian. I am told there is a mosque, but I did not see it. You arrive in the square (a roundabout with a statue of St. George) in the middle of the village. There is a toy/trinket store, a grocery, a lunch take-away (where they gave me a free bottle of Coke), and a liquor store (yes, it sells arak along with many other liquors; you can tell it is a Christian place; and it’s not the only one in town). In the trinket store, I met the owner, Riad Jreisat and his two sons, both of whom were born in the United States. I took a picture of him and his son Ali (a Christian name?) and promised to send him a copy. The Christians in town are of three churches: Latine [essentially Roman Catholic], Roum Orthodox [Greek Orthodox], and Roum Catholic [Greek Catholic]. The medinah churches are the Latine and Orthodox churches. I took a look inside the Orthodox church, splendidly colorful icons and usual iconostasis; cruciform in shape. There must have been choir practice at the Latine Church; I could hear singing when I went by. The Greek Catholic Church is apparently upslope; I did not see it. Took a picture of the wadi, fed by a powerful, gushing spring, now channeled in concrete. Flat bottom with a small trickle of water along the side, but it must fill up in wetter weather. Trees were planted on the flat bottom land. There was a wire mesh over the stream but I could not find out why. Along the watercourse, you could see the remains of the Ottoman buildings, many of which were no longer being used. There are new houses on every vantage point all around town: suburban sprawl. I met a young man from Iraq, a village near Mosul. He was Chaldean Christian and his home village was all Christian. I think that is why he took up residence in Fuheis. The Iraqi Christians are trying to get to the US, Canada, Australia, or Denmark. They do not see themselves as permanent residents of Fuheis. The Chaldeans worship in the Latine Church – because they are catholic.  He pointed out some passing young woman who he said would be going to Canada. They need money to get into these countries though, or a sponsor. Someone told me that Jordan would only have them for 6 months. There are 50-60 Iraqi Christians in Fuheis.” D.J.Z.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The golden dome marks the site of Phnom Penh's central market, or Phsar Thom Thmey in the Khmer language. But wait! That first word, Phsar, does not appear to be Khmer at all. It looks like a loan word from the Persian language: bazaar. In one form or another, bazaar is used all over the world for a market place. [2016] 

Matthews, North Carolina, USA

Masks and 6-foot distancing are required at the Matthews Farmers' Market. Right now, we are taking bets on how mask wearing and social distancing will continue even after the pandemic. After all, the people of Asia have been wearing masks for decades as prophylaxis, and that would also apply to social distancing. [2020]

Matthews, North Carolina, USA

The Matthews Farmers' Market is located in the old downtown and is open every Saturday all year (even during Covid). Cabbage and leafy greens are exactly what you would expect for a shopping trip in late November. What are the clues that Matthews has been embraced by the expanding suburbs of Charlotte? [2020] 

Matthews, North Carolina, USA

If your meals come from the farmers' market here in Matthews, you are considered a locavore. In fact, you are a premium locavore since your food comes from producers located within 50 miles of town rather than the standard 100-mile radius which is the outer limit of a locavore's range. But, let's face it, most of us are distavores. [2020]

Riga, Latvia

Folk culture on sale here! Popular culture on sale here! What's the difference and how does it manifest on the cultural landscape? In your own life, how do you blend the best of folk and popular culture? [2003]

Washington, DC, USA

♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite Things ♫ ~ Farmers' Markets: One way to keep farmers in your area afloat is to patronize your nearby farmers' markets: delicious, nutritious, so not malicious. And, they give you some insights into your local geography of agriculture. What makes the valley where these apples were grown such good orchard country? [2018] 

London, England, UK

People of London: Some come on foot, some on bikes. All come for fresh breads and pastries, and take a stab at making the earth (in this case North London) a little greener. Everything on sale is totally organic. [2009]

London, England, UK

People of London: Because it is a first-order world city (like New York), London attracts residents from all over the world. With them, immigrants bring cultural traditions that expand the palette (or palate) of choice for everyone in the city, in this case for everyone in Spitalfields. Do you recognize the fruit and the pan-African colors? [2003]

Branchville, Virginia, USA

Speaking of goobers (no, not the people outside, the legumes inside): Did you know they are an important part of African-American history? They were introduced from Africa by slaves; the name goober comes from an African language, and a man who was born into slavery discovered they can be transformed into 300 products. What was his name? [2015]

Blufton, South Carolina, USA

The suits have arrived without their suits. Let there be no mistake about it, though: These men and women will determine the ground rules for groundnuts at Blufton's farmers' market. Demographically, they present a nice mix of bosses, too. And, none of them look like goobers! [2008]

Sonora, Kentucky, USA

If it were in their front yard, it would be a yard sale. If it were on the driveway in front of their garage, it would be a garage sale. If it were from the trunk of their car, it would be a boot sale. If it  were nothing but junk, it would be a junk sale. As you can see, though, fleas are for sale here, so we can call it a flea sale! [2019]

Cape Charles, Virginia, USA

What color is summer? Here are the answers. Summer is the color of your garden and your closest farmers' market. How many types of peppers can you identify here and who is their purple friend? [2018]