I’m generalising a bit, but most cities seem to be made up of areas with distinct characteristics: there’s usually the cultural area with its stately museums and galleries; a historical financial district giving ground to swanky new businesses; neighbourhoods known for quiet elegance or tightly-knit permanance.
There’s often a colourful side of town, where new migrants come and the community is a cultural potpourri. I live in Logan, and that’s what it’s like here. My local Sunday market is in Woodridge.
Australia is known for her amazing produce and most of the vegetables sold here are clearly labelled “Produce of Australia”, whether they are traditional Australian vegetables, or ones now grown here but associated with overseas cuisines.
I see daikon, brinjal (eggplant, aubergine) and ladies’ fingers (okra) selling next to massive Portobello mushrooms, Cavendish bananas, choko, petola and pumpkin. Mike picked up some ladies’ fingers.
Vendors and patrons do business in multiple languages, selling their fresh fruit and vegetables at competitive prices. I hear Vietnamese and Indonesian, and different African dialects spoken around me. It’s nice; the world is in Logan!
After our grocery shop, we walk over to the South East Asian street food stalls.
This is no-frills goodness, with utilitarian tablecloths and napkins, and basic plastic chairs. Here’s my hubby chatting with the guy at our favourite Thai stall, Mol Thaien Thai Food.
This is Greg. He’s neighbours with the Thai family which runs this food stall. He hangs out with them and helps out, putting the lids back on the massive rice cookers, and clearing plates away.
“We all live in Logan,” he said, adding that these guys are here at 3am on Sunday setting up the stalls.
“And at the end of the day they have to take it all down again!”
I take my hat off to them.
The chili basil pork had me crying while salivating – the exquisite pain!
Mike picked a less spicy combo: Thai massaman chicken curry, and braised pork belly and egg. Looks like there was some crunchy sambal blachan on the side.
This video is by the Ethnic Communities Council of Logan.
Lastly, here’s a selection of our buys.
Love my local Sunday market 🙂
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