Friday, Jun 12, 2015
Of course, you can always pick up your ready-to-ripen fruit and vegetables from the supermarket. But with the increase in organic farming locally, there are more and more opportunities to get your produce at a market, sometimes even directly from the farmer. Here are a few options around the UAE.
ABU DHABI
Mawasim Organic Market: This new market brings in produce from the EU organically certified Mawasim farm at the ground floor of The Mall, World Trade Centre. from 2-8pm. Expect the likes of cherry tomatoes, seedless watermelons, coriander and kale.
Ripe Food & Craft Market: This UAE-wide market is moving inside for the summer to The Collection, St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort. As well as local organic fruit and vegetables they also stock super-foods, local honey and organic eggs. It’s every Saturday, 10am-2pm.
DUBAI
Ripe: This summer, Ripe moves indoors to Time Square Center, Shaikh Zayed Road, every Saturday 9am-2pm. There are also cafes pop-ups and food trucks. They also have a shop in Jumeirah.
Fruit and Vegetable Market: The massive market off Mohammad Bin Zayed Road in Ras Al Khor isn’t just for wholesale buyers. Individual shoppers can also pick up the local and imported produce. It’s open 9am-10pm (4-10pm on Fridays).
Shindagha is famous for its fish market, but there’s also a fruit and vegetable market next door, open 6am-1pm and 4-10pm on Fridays.
Baker and Spice in Souk Al Manzil has a daily selection of fresh produce, with a focus on seasonal items. This week, for example, you’d find crates of fragrant Tunisian white peaches. In the winter months, they run the Farmer’s Market on the Terrace at Emirates Towers on Friday mornings.
Greenheart, the supplier of organic produce to some of Dubai’s top restaurants, sells to the public at the weekly pop-up market at Comptoir 102, on Jumeirah Beach Road, 11am-1pm.
Blue Planet, Green People has Farmers Day , every Friday, 10am-noon, at Jumeirah Lake Towers (BS4, Al Seef 2, Cluster U).
Dubai Garden Centre hosts a market with produce by Organic Foods and Cafe, every Saturday, 9am-2pm (except the third Saturday of the month).
SHARJAH
The central Blue Souk, known for its regional handcrafts and art, is next to the fruit and vegetable and fish markets in the emirate.
FUJAIRAH
The landmark Friday market in Masafi was sadly partly destroyed in a recent fire, but Fujairah is still a great place to pick up local and Omani produce, especially locally grown tiny bananas. Look out for sellers on the roadsides in the emirate, or head to the central market in Fujairah city.
Staff Report
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