Letter from Boston Outdoor Market By MASAKO YAMADA	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
屋外マーケット ボストンの繁華街、ヘイマーケットは週末になると屋台がひしめき合う屋外マーケットと化し、さまざまな人種でごった返します。色とりどりの野菜や果物が所狭しと並べられ、信じられないほどの安値で売られています。雅子さんはこのマーケットの独特の雰囲気がお気に入り。買い物だけでなく、人間観察も楽しみのひとつです。

On Fridays and Saturdays, a section of downtown Boston called Haymarket turns into an outdoor market. The market is cramped, with dozens of stands squeezed in between a busy elevated highway and some local stores. Outdoor markets might seem romantic, but the scenery at Haymarket is hardly pretty. There is major construction being done on the highway, so the whole area is disorganized and a bit dusty.

That said, it's also a fascinating place. The majority of the stands sell produce, although about three of them sell fish. Most sell similar things, but the quality and prices are slightly different among stands, so it's worth browsing to get the best value.

There are heaps and heaps of colorful fruits and vegetables, and prices are incredibly low. The place feels like a wholesale market, and the prices seem to match. A carton of fresh strawberries that would cost $3.50 (¥400) at the supermarket was selling for $1.00 (¥120) when I went there recently. Scallions, which can go for 75 cents (¥90) a bunch, cost only $1.00 for six bunches. Three pounds (1.35 kilograms) of tomatoes cost about $2 (¥240). Fresh peeled garlic was being sold for $1.00 a pound.

Although it's difficult to count on buying anything in particular at Haymarket, it's fun to be surprised by what's offered each time. I've even seen luxury items such as portobello mushrooms or the trendy salad green called mesclun. These items go for about one-third of the price they typically fetch at supermarkets. Although one must be careful to check the quality of the produce, it's easy to be tempted by the bounty.

Although many of the items are sold in bulk, it is possible to buy stuff without having a car or a personal helper to move the goods. There seems to be no required minimum purchase. The merchants know how to deal with average customers — as opposed to retail stores or restaurants — and they are sympathetic to people who need only one bunch of scallions, not six.

Buying cheap produce is the primary goal of going to Haymarket, but watching the different merchants try to sell their goods is also very entertaining. Since there are so many stands that look similar, charisma seems to help in attracting customers. I saw one young man standing by a bunch of watermelons yelling, "If you don't know what to get your Mom for Mother's Day, get her a nice watermelon!! Only $5 (¥600)!!" A gruff but friendly man at one of the stands that I visited told the customer in front of me, "What? Only 1 pound? Are you on a diet or something!? Broccoli doesn't make you fat. You should buy 2 pounds!!" A young Asian woman I saw encouraged potential buyers to sniff her "beautiful mint."

The customers are also varied. The place is bustling with people of different backgrounds. I suppose people of all ethnicities love getting a bargain. When I went to Haymarket recently, I saw Russian Jews, French-speaking blacks, Muslim women with head coverings, old Chinese couples and "regular" white Americans. The outdoor market is adjacent to a row of halal meat markets that sell meat prepared according to the laws of Islam, which adds an interesting flavor to the place.

Given the open atmosphere and the throngs of people, it's a bit surprising that more types of stands don't set up shop. Perhaps I'm romanticizing the concept of an open-air market, but I think it would be nice to see ethnic food stands or perhaps a booth overflowing with different herbs and spices.

Actually, I have seen one stand that sells "ready-to-eat" food. It was a fish stand. The stand did not look very attractive to me, since the fish seemed to be piled in heaps on a table with some ice, and fishy liquid was dripping onto the street. The fish were not gutted. The merchants had set up a seafood cocktail booth where customers could buy boiled shrimp, imitation crab or raw clams to eat with lemon and cocktail sauce. I love raw clams, but I couldn't bring myself to eat raw clams at an open booth that didn't even have running water. As I was walking away from the booth, however, I did see some women squeezing lemon on their clams. Watching these women was strange. They seemed to have no problem eating raw clams in the street. I felt tempted, but I didn't go back. Maybe I'll try the clams next time.

Shukan ST: May 21, 1999

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