A week or two ago I happened to be in town on the morning of the French Market, and coincidentally only a block or two away from the Alliance Francaise, where it is held.  So, naturally I decided to get the max out of my expensive town parking spot and ambled across to have a look.

It’s a small market, held inside the Alliance Francaise building, and its specialty is genuine French food products, imported directly from France.

Suzanne Himely, who runs the market, is very passionate about French food, and knowledgeable about where each item comes from, and why she chose each one, specifically.  At the market, you’ll find a range of very aromatic and tasty cheeses, irresistible saucisson, a variety of pates and spreads and even foie gras (non-force-fed, apparently).

I enjoyed tasting all the cheeses, and went crazy for their Rosette de Lyon Saucisson… the French really do know their stuff.

Being a locavore at heart, I personally wouldn’t want to buy imported food too often, and prefer to eat what’s being made closer by, but wow the quality is fantastic.  And, if  you’ve been lucky enough to experience real French food, in France, for just long enough to get used to how it should taste, you might find you can’t resist the allure of some real-deal French treats, now and again.

The French Market is on every Friday morning between 10am and 2pm at the Alliance Francaise, 155 Loop St.   Contact Suzanne at suzanne@frenchmarket.co.za to find out more.

** may not be open on public holidays – please check with organiser before going! **

DISCLAIMER: Please use any event information as a guide only. Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy thereof, things do change – and the best way to make sure something is definitely on is to contact the event organisers themselves. Full bells’n'whistles disclaimer here.