Ballero – Palermo’s open market, a world of fresh deliciousness waiting to be eaten.
This will be a visual tour of Ballero – the open market of Palermo, where you can purchase the freshest food in Palermo. The fish is straight from the sea, the cheese is from the cheesemakers, the fruit picked this morning in the orchards, and the vegetables dug from the ground moments before coming to the market.
The Ballero market has fresh food, nuts, olives, supplies, detergent, prepared food, and even Nutella. You can find almost everything you need. The prices are great – and just a reminder the prices are for kilograms not pounds.
I wish I could also make it a scent tour of Ballero where you can smell the ripeness of everything. I wish I could make it a sound tour where you can hear the sellers squawking their wares and the customers bargaining for the best price.
Ballero is an open market because it is not inside any store, everything is on the streets, one street that winds around central Palermo for several blocks. I love our visits to Ballero- the open market of Palermo, it is amazing and overwhelming. It is full of color and interesting things I have never seen before. You will only find what is in season; spring – strawberries and beans, summer – peaches and watermelon, fall – pumpkins and eggplants, winter – oranges and clementines. But you will find what you need.
Enjoy the beauty, imagine the sounds and smells. Come if you want.
Welcome to Ballero!
Just cooked corn ready for eating.
Granita made right before your eyes.
More flavors of cheese than you can imagine.
All the food is sold by weight.
It is always busy.
Nutella, tuna, sardines, oils, cheese, and nuts.
Everything is wrapped in paper to go home.
The colors! Red and yellow peppers, purple and black eggplant, green zucchini, and the reddest tomatoes in all sizes.
Those green melons are picked in September, ripen to their sweetness on your counter, to be eaten in November or December.
The sellers make the best of what they have.
These black olives are waiting for you to cure them at home.
No canned pumpkin here, you buy it by the piece.
Fresh herbs are the best for flavor.
Cheese and meat are both sold by the kilograms and etto – 100 grams.
Boiled potatoes ready to eat.
It must be autumn because the pomegranates are ripe.
Lettuce, parsley, and finocchi.
Pistachios, almonds, peanuts, and walnuts.
Marzapane – candies made from almond paste and painted like fruit.
Just a few hot chilis.
Hopefully this was a feast for your eyes. And next time you visit Sicily, stop by Ballero – the open market of Palermo, for a feast for your eyes and mouth.
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