T and T: Temple Bar Food Market

Say "Temple Bar" and what conjures up in people's minds is Dublin's string of pubs and restaurants along several cobblestone streets accessible to pedestrians only. People define Temple Bar as the nightlife area of Dublin. It is true. However, on Saturdays, you will find a food market here in Temple Bar. What a refreshing way to think about Temple Bar. The food market is by no means huge but as avid fans of fresh and locally produced foods it was worth a visit for us.

Temple Bar Food Market

The food market was mainly made up of ready-to-eat food stalls with only one stall selling fresh produce. The fresh produce stall also happened to take up the most space among the rest of the food stalls. With only one fresh produce stall at the food market, thankfully this stall offers a great variety of produce ranging from purple beets to parslane to a great assortment of mushrooms.

Purple beets

Parslane

Assorted mushrooms

If you're looking to get a loaf of bread for breakfast in the morning (or even for lunch, for that matter), you can find it at the food market.

Loaves of bread goodness

Savory breads

Or, if you want baked goods for breakfast or lunch, the food market is also an answer. I have a vice for baked goods, being a person who loves baking and who can't resist a good baking recipe. Although we couldn't have possibly tried all of the baked goods we saw, having them as eye candy sufficed. I saw some baklava for sale and bought a piece for 4 euros. Saying that I love baklava is probably an understatement seeing how much I actually really really like this dessert. I didn't eat it right away and saved it for that night after we returned to our hotel. To my disappointment, the baklava wasn't that great. I could hardly sense the fragrance of rose water that is used to give baklavas an aromatic hint. Unfortunately, I also couldn't tell if it wasn't that great because I had kept it in my bag and waited to eat it until that night, or if, really that the baklava from that stall just wasn't all that great. I guess I'll never know.

Quiche varieties

Chicken and broccoli quiche

Our plan for that day was to have lunch on-the-go as we headed off to visit other areas in Dublin, and so we picked up a couple pieces of warm vegetarian samosas that were filled with potatoes and green peas. They were wonderful and was definitely a treat as we bit into the warm potato filling when the air around us was cold.

Vegetarian ethnic foods

If there ever was an award for Best Smelling Food, hands down it would go to the man preparing and selling slow-cooked pork with baby potatoes. We noticed the delicious smell right when we stepped into the market and the lovely smell wafted through the market. We would have tried some if it wasn't because our stomachs were already filled with meat from that morning's Irish breakfast which included pieces of bacon (which by the way actually has meat unlike the American bacon which consists of 90% fat and 10% meat) and sausages.

Slow cooked pork and baby potatoes

Pork roasting over fire

For health nuts, they will be particularly like this stall that offers raw food products. Just by looking at the foods on display, one would have thought they are sinful desserts and tidbits. Upon a closer look at the food labels, we realized that many of the items consisted of raw foods.