Like many vacationers, it’s a safe bet that you’ll frequent the aisles of a summer market. In the morning or at night, you will inevitably be attracted by these stalls which are full of local products. But be careful on these summer markets: there is food and drink!
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Cheeses, olive oil, honey, charcuterie… You expect all the stallholders on the markets sell local products. But that’s not always the case. Because some vendors are waiting for tourists at the turn. The most common scams often involve expensive products that can pay off big. For example a bottle of olive oil from Provence which actually contains cheap Spanish oil. Supposedly local honey but which was harvested outside our borders. Or even cheese or industrial sausages bought at low cost and resold at a high price.
On the summer markets, how to recognize the real local producers? First, by being wary of outward signs of local tradition: just because a stand displays a sign and a regional flag does not mean that the products sold are local. Also, find out about the labeled products of the region of your vacation. For example, a Protected Designation of Origin label (PDO) or controlled designation of origin (AOC) guarantees the purchase of a real local product.
Next, take a good look at the signs and labels. For fruits and vegetables, the geographical origin must be indicated. But check all the same that it corresponds to that appearing on the crates and the boxes. For bulk products, such as sausages or aperitif olives, turn around if the origin of the products is not displayed. As for honey and olive oil, the country of origin must be mentioned on the jars and bottles. If the statement “EU origin” is indicated, it means that the product is not French.
To be sure to buy real good local products, the chambers of agriculture organize country producers’ markets all over France all year round. Find the dates on marches-producteurs.com.