What? the big Market
Where? on the Blaak in Rotterdam
When? every Tuesday and Saturday
Photo left & right: Markthal Rotterdam
Rotterdams 'Big' outdoors Market on the Blaak has a lot diminished with the arrival of the Market Hall, most of the Rotterdam inhabitants feel a bit sad about it. For loyal visitors of the Market it took some getting used to at first, searching for the familiar stalls. What stayed is the bussiness, the cheerful crowds and the big display of merchandise.
Fruit and vegetables (organic or not) are available for sale in abundance, at a fair price and always really fresh, straight from the auction!
There is fresh fish in many kinds and sizes, like 'ordinary' herring, cod, mackerel and plaice or gild-head breem, bonita, tub gurnard, red mullet, sea bass, sole, salmon among others.
But there is also fresh prawn, crab, langoustine, oysters and other beautiful sea food, like mussels, cockles and whelks.
Here you buy the very best Dutch cheeses from young; ripe or old, with or without cumin. There are also all types of cheeses from other European countries such as France; Italy; Spain; Turkey and Great Britain.
Furthermore, on the market you will find Garden and houseplants; Different types of bread; Herbs, humus and olives; nuts & dried fruits; Chicken, game & poultry; Fried fish, Candy of all sorts; Clothing; Leather goods; Greeting cards and Drugstore articles.
There are also snacks for sale, in a wide variety. Of course there is the inevitable chips with mayonnaise and croquettes but also fried kibbeling (spicy fried fish), Surinam shaved ice or Turkish pizza for example. Or go with Vietnamese snacks, such as spring rolls, little pie's or fried shrimp which lay brotherly next to the buns with German sausage.
But Snazzie's most favorite purchases (besides fruit & veg of course because we cook and bake a lot) on the market are:
flowers, who does not love the beautiful, Dutch grown flowers of the season
fabrics and the haberdashery, because there is so much choice as we do indeed do a lot of sewing on snazzie
Can't you find what you are looking for on the market outside? Then you can always try the Markthal. But in there the afforable outside market prices, those you won't find!