GUM Market in Yerevan

That I love markets is no secret. Why I love fresh produce ones  even has a post all of its own. So it should come as no surprise that when I arrived in Yerevan I was delighted to hear there was an amazing one close by.

Actually, amazing doesn’t quite do it. A better word would be extraordinary or maybe spectacular? Anyways, it blew my mind. From the outside the building is nothing special but once you step through those front doors you enter a different world. One where dried fruits reign supreme. At least that’s how I felt when presented with such a varied and gorgeous display of dried fruits!  The attention to detail in their decoration and presentation was astounding.

It didn’t end there, hiding behind all the edible art pieces where the stalls with all the fresh fruits and veggies. Basically another sight for sore eyes. Plump juicy fruits make me so happy I sometimes think there is something wrong with me.

After all these amazing fruits and veggies it was time to walk down a corridor that is basically where the local butchers display and sell their products. Not  exactly my type of thing but it must be said it was exceptionally clean and didn’t smell (something I abhor is the smell inside a butcher shop) and the displays where… not distasteful?

At the end of the corridor another large open space with veggies! This time though, there were spices, and other odds and ends scattered throughout, but the noteworthy thing is that here it was the pickled version of veggies that reigned supreme. Seriously, I was once again astounded by the variety. They genuinely pickled everything!

And last but not least, the cheese and the bread sections… I’m not a fan of bread but ohhh the cheese…the stringy one was delicious!

In addition to all the amazing products on display two other admirable characteristics  must be noted: 1- How clean and organized it was (its wide aisles made it super easy navigate) and 2- How friendly the vendors were.

They didn’t seem to care that I was buying next to nothing. Instead, they seemed happy to showcase their products while simultaneously gently pressing different fruits for me to taste into my hands. Their reward? I guess it must have been the stupid grin in my face every time I bit into the new juicy fruit they had me tasting.

p.s. I do enjoy other types of markets – as evidenced by my post on the flower market in Bangkok or the crafts market in Lima – but all evidence points to the fact that fresh produce ones are by far my favourite.