Paris Market Walk

• PHOTOS

Paris is widely considered a top destination for gastronomes from around the world. In perhaps no other culture than in France is food such a vital aspect of daily life. On this 2.5-hour walk, led by one of our culinary experts, we will explore this food philosophy at its source, an authentic local market.

Your food docent (either a chef, cookbook author, food journalist, or Parisian epicure) will take you through the Marché Aligre, a neighborhood market, little visited by tourists and much coveted by locals. Just like every French town, every Parisian district has its own weekly, bi-weekly or quasi-daily market. As we stroll amongst the stalls, our discussion will touch on a variety on themes such as how the market functions, food provenance and the concept of terrior (the character of the soil) or how Parisians shop for their food and the impact of this on the French diet and gastronomic philosophy.

We will also discover and sample some of the various delectable wares on display su

Paris is widely considered a top destination for gastronomes from around the world. In perhaps no other culture than in France is food such a vital aspect of daily life. On this 2.5-hour walk, led by one of our culinary experts, we will explore this food philosophy at its source, an authentic local market.

Your food docent (either a chef, cookbook author, food journalist, or Parisian epicure) will take you through the Marché Aligre, a neighborhood market, little visited by tourists and much coveted by locals. Just like every French town, every Parisian district has its own weekly, bi-weekly or quasi-daily market. As we stroll amongst the stalls, our discussion will touch on a variety on themes such as how the market functions, food provenance and the concept of terrior (the character of the soil) or how Parisians shop for their food and the impact of this on the French diet and gastronomic philosophy.

We will also discover and sample some of the various delectable wares on display such as artisan raw-milk cheeses so special they're unavailable anywhere else in the world, charcuterie and homemade paté and row upon row of carefully arranged seasonal and exotic fruit. We'll spend some time with the lively vegetable vendors from France and North Africa, pick through the displays of Atlantic and Mediterranean seafood, or even taste some mouthwatering olives from Provence or Italy.

After some time in the market, we may also visit some of the specialty food stores or historical cafes in the neighborhood. These sites will compliment our experience and help pull together this fascinating narrative of French food and life.