Food and Traditions Saving Local Markets

Raufarhöfn, Iceland, July 7, 2014 (Newswire.com) - Elena Constantin, Founder and CEO of Food & Traditions, immigrated to England where she studied Fashion Merchandising and Marketing. Her passion for tradition and good quality food was inspired by how her family would prepare their meals, especially when celebrating a National Anniversary. By combining her love of food with her knowledge as a merchandiser, the idea for the Food & Traditions website was born. She joined forces with Andreea Dumitriu, a web designer who studied at the Bucharest University of Art, and who has the same passion for local markets in order to bring her idea to life.

Local Markets from around the world invite anyone who comes across them to indulge in each of their senses. Be it taking in the colorful arrangements of fresh produce or smelling the heavenly scents of fresh seafood and traditionally prepared dishes which linger in the air and entice the visitor deeper along the twisting paths between the booths.

"Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture."

Mark Kurlansky

Locals of every city visit these markets in order to purchase fresh produce, meats, seafood and an assortment of spices with which to stock their pantries at home, while tourists can visit these local markets in order to learn more about the traditional cultures of their destinations. Each market around the world varies in the selection of products they sell although a majority of them are home to local farmers, butchers, fisherman, bakers, florists, artists and craftsmen. Whether you are looking for spices and cheeses or pottery and jewelry, you are likely to find it at the local market.

Food markets offer an insight to the culture and culinary lives of those who live nearby and some have been around for hundreds of years, as in the case of Enfants Rouges in Paris which has been running since the 17th Century. Other markets are newer and celebrate the culinary diversity of the city by offering traditional dishes alongside foreign delights. Whether your goal is souvenirs to take home, a quick snack or a full traditional meal, local markets offer every flavor of the local culture you could imagine.

In the world we currently live in, people look for cheap products which are easily accessible, all the while forgetting that very often, the quality is far more important than the price. If we look around we see how supermarkets promote mass production in overseas locations with reduced costs. This means they are able to add a hefty mark-up while still keeping their prices affordable for consumers. This destroys the traditions of the community while also impacting negatively on local and national production.

“Food is a central activity of mankind and one of the single most significant trademarks of a culture.” Mark Kurlansky This famous quote is the guiding principle for what Constantin and Dimitriu hope to achieve with the Food & Traditions site. They are passionate about local markets, the traditional manner of preparing food and all things which make up the unique aspects of any culture. "People should think things out fresh and not just accept conventional terms and the conventional way of doing things,” Buckminster Fuller.