Street Markets: from Local Tradition to the New Gourmet Culture

The earliest markets were places where country and city came together, providing an essential service in terms of food supply. For decades, locals bought their fruit, vegetables, meat, and other products there. 

Even today, in this era of online shopping, most Argentinian cities have at least one market, keeping alive the tradition of walking from stall to stall to buy fresh food, and all sorts of other goods.

Among the stalls selling fruit, vegetables, meat, and street food, the culture of the market goes beyond a mere shopping trip. Markets are also meeting places, as well as the best way of seeing the seasonal nature of the local cuisine.

Markets sell everything from free-range chickens to craft items, in a mixture of stalls that appeal to everyone from local regulars to both domestic and overseas tourists, and dyed-in-the-wool foodies.

With the passing of time and the emergence of new trends, such as the appearance of supermarkets and the seismic changes in shopping habits, there has been a move to convert markets into spaces that combine the sale of high-quality products with a rich selection of the local cuisine.

In Buenos Aires, as well as in the provinces, markets merge the flavors and colors of a variety of different places, in bustling marketplaces whose stalls are strategically located to draw people in.

People go in for a quick snack or to do the weekly shop while enjoying the modernized version of this traditional local ritual.

Markets allow locals and visitors alike to buy products from every region. Markets in coastal cities such as Bahía Blanca and Mar del Plata are renowned for their fish and seafood, while in Argentina’s northern provinces, candied fruits are a classic.

When a law was passed in 1897 authorizing the construction of the first markets, the designs mirrored Europe’s cutting-edge architecture. The Mercado San Telmo was designed in the same year by Juan Buschiazzo, who was also one of the architects of the Avenida de Mayo.

The building still retains its original, industrial-style structure, with its beams, arches, and metal columns, and a sheet metal and glass roof with a central dome.

The Mercado San Telmo is one of Buenos Aires’ most iconic buildings. Located in the center of the historic old town, it is especially lively on Sundays when a traditional antiques fair is held just next to it. 

Throughout much of its history, the Mercado San Telmo has combined a traditional food market with an antiques fair. In addition, it now has several stalls serving food to go, with a variety of cuisines that reflect the city’s cosmopolitan character.