Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
floor hall, where most of the food vendors
are. Look especially for unique Hungarian
produce such as parsley root and sweet
white peppers, and don't miss the glorious
peaches in summer. Things are a little
cooler on the basement floor, where you'll
find fish merchants, purveyors of pickled
vegetables (another Hungarian specialty),
and a conventional grocery store. There
are also a number of food stands on
the mezzanine, along with the
Fakanál
Étterem
restaurant, which serves tradi-
tional Hungarian specialties like goulash
and chicken paprikash; Fakanál Étterem
even offers 1-day cooking classes, where
you can learn how to use all those exotic
ingredients displayed in the stalls below.
The market is closed Sundays and terrifi-
cally crowded on Saturdays; come here
earlier in the week for a more relaxed
shopping experience.
IX. Vámház körút 1-3 (
&
36/1/366-
3300;
www.csapi.hu; Metro station Kálvin
tér [Blue line]).
(
Budapest (20km/12 miles).
L
$$ Hotel Erzsébet,
V. Károlyi
Mihály u. 11-15, Budapest (
&
36/1/889-
3700;
www.danubiusgroup.com). $$
Hotel
Papillon,
II. Rózsahegy u. 3/b (
&
36/1/212-
4750
).
Open-Air Markets
10
Khari Baoli
The Spice of Life
Old Delhi, India
The western end of Old Delhi's most atmo-
spheric quarter—Shahjahanabad, a laby-
rinth of tiny lanes near the Red Fort, lined
with crumbling 17th-century mansions—
seems an appropriate place to find Asia's
biggest spice market, Khari Baoli. It has
been here since the time of the Mughal
emperor Shah Jahan, when there was still
a fortified gate at this end of Chandni
Chowk. Colors, textures, and aromas liter-
ally spill out into the street from the
cramped shops lining the wide thorough-
fare, but you'll want to duck inside to get
the full heady effect—an only-in-India sort
of experience.
Spices, nuts, dried fruits, rice, beans,
and herbs are sold here in wholesale quan-
tities—workers busily trundle huge sacks
of these commodities through the crowds
on hand carts, so watch your back—but
individual customers can also buy smaller
amounts. Black peppercorns, pale green
cardamom pods, bright yellow turmeric
root, red chilies, cumin—all the flavors of
Indian cooking are laid out on display,
some in metal bowls, some in burlap
sacks. Jars of pungent Indian pickles are
stacked on the shelves of other shops.
Prices are reasonable, though you'll see
plenty of haggling going on for large pur-
chases. Chaotic and bustling, best reached
by rickshaw, it's a popular tourist stop just
for the intoxicating aromas and the vibrant
street life.
When you're done with Khari Baoli,
there's still more shopping to do along
Chandni Chowk, Shahjahanabad's principal
commercial street (the name means
“Moonlight Avenue,” referring to the night-
time reflection off its canal). A number of
colorful markets branch off Chandni
Chowk:
Chawri Bazaar
for brass and cop-
per icons and other souvenirs,
Churiwali
Galli
for bangles,
Nai Sarak
for fine statio-
nery,
Kinari Bazaar
for cheap gold and
silver trinkets and accessories, and
Dariba
Kalan
for more valuable jewelry. Make a
final stop at
Karim's
(Jama Masjid;
&
91/
11/23269880
), a century-old restaurant/
hotel tucked away in a small courtyard,
