Season 1
8 episodes
0 min. per episode
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A curious host navigates vibrant markets, uncovering hidden stories and unexpected connections that reveal the soul of each culture.
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Feeling a little peckish? How about a big, crunchy spider? They're the specialty at the insect market in Skuon, Cambodia. Hundreds of people come every day for fried spiders, crickets and silk worms. Why not wash them down with some spider wine? Located 80 kilometres north of Phnom Penh, the village of Skuon attracts thousands of Cambodians and tourists to its main attraction: an insect market buzzing with activity. Gathered around a highway rest stop, some 200 vendors offer amazed customers trays heaping with bugs. Be sure to check out the foreigners taking selfies as they bite into the local specialty, fried spiders. Go on. Have a glass of spider wine, for courage. When plunged into rice wine, the spiders struggle and release their venom. Julie joins Mrs. Thy in preparing the strange potion, which is credited with many medicinal properties, including restoring men's vigour. And vigour is needed to hunt the spiders without getting bitten. A good hunter can catch up to 50 a day. Because the spiders feed on sap from tree roots, hunters need to seek their quarry in the local forests. In rural areas like this one, 17% of the population is undernourished. But research led by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization confirms that insects are very rich in protein. In addition to serving as snacks, they are an important source of income for a population with few opportunities. But this income source and the region's ecosystem are threatened by rampant deforestation that has been going on for several years. Some are now trying to manage insect supply problems by turning to breeding. We associate insect-eating with the survival of humanity. Now the question is whether our host will survive her spider tasting.
Navigating the floating Cai Rang market in Vietnam is not all fun and games. Countless barges - carrying wholesalers, retailers and tourists - glide past each other in an endless dance, as fruits and vegetables are traded and occasional shouts are heard in lieu of honking horns. The market is near the city of Can Tho, in southern Vietnam, about three hours from the capital, Ho Chi Minh City. Spread out over more than a kilometre of the Mekong River, it is the largest fruit and vegetable wholesale market in the region. The Mekong Delta produces more than 60% of Vietnam's fruit. It's crazy how much can be crammed onto a tiny boat. Some merchants' barges have full kitchens where they prepare hot meals while balancing delicately on the waves. Travelling snack bars deliver soup, tea, coffee, sweets and other supplies directly to their customers' boats. Small resellers row considerable distances from the market, through the region's many canals, to sell fruits and vegetables to people living on the riverbank. And they never leave their boats. The idea of living together in harmony is very powerful in this aquatic village, where you can see so many smiles. Two-story houses built right on boats sit alongside rough shacks assembled on small barges; they are incredibly close to each other, but people don't seem to mind. When your neighbour in the next boat plays his karaoke music full blast, you simply turn away and focus on the sound of the waves - It is clear that people here have a deep attachment to this market. Tradition, tourism and business all play a role.
Surrounded by majestic mountains and sitting on the shores of the Indian Ocean, the city of Salalah is the second largest in the Sultanate of Oman. For centuries, its Al-Haffa district has been famous for its incense souk. The market is a small one, but it still has some 150 shops. Many of them carry similar wares; it is their personality and expertise in blending fragrances that keep the vendors in business. For Omanis, perfume is an essential part of everyday life. Incense accompanies prayers and scents homes and clothing. It is even believed to have medicinal properties and to help purify air. For all these reasons, it has traditionally been highly valued, earning the nickname "desert gold." Forget about those little sticks that come to mind when you think of incense. At the Al-Haffa market, incense comes in numerous forms: perfumes, skin creams, wood shavings (bakhour), chewing gum, mineral water, and even incense-flavoured ice cream. Omani men choose their fragrances just as carefully as women do. They set their incense-burner on the floor and tent their long robes over it, allowing the smoke to fill the space and scent the skin, hair and clothes. Many Omani families have been harvesting frankincense for generations, from trees that grow all over the region. Boswellia Sacra is a hardy, drought-resistant tree whose bark is scored to release resin. In 2000, UNESCO recognized the historic importance of this "Land of Frankincense" with a World Heritage Site designation. While incense was once a source of great wealth for Oman, desert gold has now been supplanted by black gold as the country's economic driver. But for thousands of Omanis and Middle Eastern tourists, the rich aromas of Al-Haffa market will always be irresistibly alluring.
We'll have the synopsis for you soon.
From the bustling Doha Falcons Market in Qatar and the Incense and Perfumes Market in Salalah, to the Spiders and Insects Market of Skun in Cambodia ~ the Best Markets on Earth are finally within reach. This series explores the world of artisans, producers and unusual characters that live and work in some of the most fascinating markets around the globe. With our smart and curious host, we're transported to foreign lands filled with smells, colors, people and stories and given the rare chance to immerse ourselves in them. Each episode explores the diversity and unique culture of a different world market, revealing the vital role it plays in its home city and the beating heart of the people who have inhabited it for generations.