The GW Expat Blog

Market day, the alternative shopping experience

April 1, 2019

Hell might possibly be a German supermarket at 10am on a Saturday. Well that may be unfair, it’s probably true of supermarkets the world over, but the German supermarket experience is one which stands out to most foreigners, and not in a good way. I’m sure you’ve heard the jokes, maybe you’ve told a few too. Other customers breathing down your neck, produce flying through the check out at lightening speed and that one dodgy wheel on every available trolley.

Personally the feeling of having successfully packed all my groceries, scanning my payback card, collecting my Treuepunkte (loyalty points) and wishing the checkout person a quick Tschüss (bye) is somewhat akin to winning at life. I’m all for celebrating the everyday successes if you couldn’t tell. I have been know to reward myself with a bakery treat (or sometimes an alcoholic one) for a well executed shopping trip. However if you want to try an altogether different, and possibly more relaxing, shopping experience you definitely need to try out your local Wochenmarkt (weekly market).

On Saturday mornings, and usually one weekday morning (ours is Wednesday) the Wochenmarkt comes to town. Locally produced and seasonal are the bywords of the Wochenmarkt. Currently in season and selling like hot cakes is Bärlauch (wild garlic) and coming very soon is the famous Spargel (asparagus, Germany favours the white over the green in a big way) and my personal favourite Rhubarb . You’ll learn that Kale doesn’t appear until after the first frost and there are many more types of pumpkin than you ever thought possible.

One of my favourite local market stands – Photo – Alie

You’ll also find plants and flowers, also obviously seasonal too. At the moment you can pick up some sticks to display your Easter eggs on, buckets of Narzissen (daffodils), Stiefmutterchen (pansies) and bulbs for planting. In the next few weeks the tomato and veg plants will be available and a few heading for my garden.

Spring flowers and Easter branches for your hanging eggs in the background – Photo – Alie

Depending on your own market, I live in a fairly small town so the market is small, bigger towns and cities will get you more choice, you will also find a mix of butchers produce, dairy produce, breads and fish. Our local market also has a stall from our local flour mill, hello Bärlauch bread and Easter bread mix, as well as one from a local honey producer who makes lovely wax products as well as top notch honey and a Mediterranean stall where you can find dips and fresh pastas. As for eggs, bringing an old egg box is always met with a grateful smile around here.

The market is a great place to practice and learn useful everyday German. More than just the names of vegetables (which is obviously useful), weights and money it is about connecting with the community you live in. Going to the market every week means you end up bumping into neighbours and the same faces, at some point you too become a known face (I got a stamp card for the fruit and veg stand, 10 stamps and I get 20% off my shopping or 5kg of free potatoes). Who am I kidding? everyone in a small town knows the British couple with the cute dog, but it has really helped us settle into a small town in a way that frequenting a supermarket hasn’t.

The butcher always has a queue – Photo – Alie

Tips for a top market experience
⁃Be an observer before you jump right in, some stalls serve from the left, some from the right, some want you to pick your own fruit and vegetables, others want to pick it for you. Take a minute to observe the locals.
⁃Taking your own containers is usually welcomed
⁃Take cash, as with most smaller businesses in Germany cards are rarely accepted
⁃Take your own sturdy bag to transport your goods back home

⁃To find out where and when your closest market is check your local council website or just check out the Marktplatz (market place, the clue is in the name) on a Saturday morning

Visiting the market hasn’t entirely eliminated my need to occasionally visit the supermarket, I still need to go and pick up the boring but necessary products like loo roll. I’m sure you could guess how delighted I was though when they recently introduced self checkouts at my local Kaufland (this a big thing down here in the countryside). No one but me gets to throw my shopping through the checkout at breakneck speed. I could do without the ‘unexpected item in the bagging area’ constantly, but you can’t have everything can you?
-Alie
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About AlieC
Alie Caswell is a Brit who just passed the five year mark in Southern Germany. Musician, writer, expat supporter, fluent in the language of international hand gestures, and with an always unwavering enthusiasm for marzipan and museums.

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