an open cupboard

I happened upon a lovely outdoor market near the Medborgarplatsen area of Södermalm on Saturday. Södermalm is sort of Stockholm’s answer to the Village in Manhattan, or Haight-Ashbury before it became a completely gentrified parody of itself. In Söder—as it’s called by Stockholmers—you’ll find strange characters and hipsters, artists and boutique owners, and some of the coolest clubs and bars. (I’m amused to no end by the names of some Stockholm establishments. For example, a bar called “Dickens” featuring a likeness of the famous writer on its sign and a menu completely unrelated to England in the Industrial Age). That said, Södermalm is actually composed of a number of neighborhoods, only a couple of which I’ve really explored.

Getting back to the market near Medborgarplatsen… I was on my way to my favorite little Södermalm boutique when I spotted a stall selling fruits and vegetables. Aha, an outdoor market! Naturally, I had to check it out and take surreptitious photos when nobody was looking.

Södermalmers are a lucky bunch. The market includes both organic and conventional foods, including produce, meats, cheeses, sausages, seafood, bread, honey, natural body care products, and wool rugs. Everything is meticulously fresh and appetizing, and the shoppers are amusingly organized in their browsing. When the market gets a little crowded, people instinctively queue up to get through the long, relatively narrow row of market stalls. No elbows are used here, and the sellers quietly explain their wares to curious customers.

Had I stayed longer in Stockholm, I could have easily bought quite a lot. Here are my photos:

Gorgeous green beans.

This is the bread guy, captured from an angle because I was too embarassed to photograph him head on. He sells delicious whole grain rye breads, which I was tempted to take back to California. These very fresh breads probably wouldn’t have survived the trip.

Beautiful fresh carrots. Swedish carrots are the best I’ve ever tasted.

This fellow only sells fresh corn, and he’s got a large corn plant to prove it. Passing his stand, I wondered whether his corn is non-GMO.

Pickled crayfish, just the thing for a weekend crayfish party. In Sweden, crayfish season is greeted with crayfish parties, where crayfish is consumed by revelers wearing crayfish hats.

The goat cheese stand. The cheese tastes like a mild chevre, but is packed in olive oil labneh-style.

Squash, heralding the arrival of autumn.

Herbs for your kitchen garden.

The outdoor market includes several meat stalls, each focusing on a different type of meat, among them turkey and pork. These charcuterie are made of wild boar (vildsvin, right?).

Fresh jams and juices made from a variety of berries.

A variety of preserved vegetables, probably an important staple in the old days before refrigerated imports. It’s nice to see this tradition alive and well in an outdoor market.

These photos are of Östermalms Saluhall, a gourmet food hall in the upscale region of Östermalm. The hall includes a variety of stalls, including a bakery, confectionary, greengrocers, fishmongers, butchers, and cheese shops. There are stalls that sell homemade goods like Swedish meatballs, quiches, potato puffs, pâtés, and fish spreads. Östermalms Saluhall also has restaurants, including both Japanese smørrebrød eateries. A coffee and tea shop offers an extensive variety of both purveyors of caffeine.

Fresh cloudberries in their own juice.

Cakes at a confectioner’s stall.

A fishmonger’s stall.

Crayfish

Havskräftor, of course. I’m guessing they’re langoustines.

American and Nordic lobsters, from the Atlantic and Northern Atlantic, respectively.

Fresh hazelnuts. Who knew?

Nuts (not sure what kind… anyone?). A few almonds thrown in for good measure.

A box of famously delicious new potatoes. The grocer said they need to be refrigerated for optimal freshness and flavor.

Cabbage plants for sale at an outdoor nursery right outside of Östermalms Saluhall. According to the Vasa Museum, growing cabbage is an old Swedish tradition.