La versión español está después de la versión inglés.
FOR SOMEONE WHO doesn’t cook, I sure do enjoy looking at all the ingredients. Málaga has a few large public markets and, whenever I can, I visit the one closest to the train station in the old town center. It’s called Mercado Ataranzas, which means “shipyard market,” and that makes perfect sense since it was originally a shipyard built in the 14th century when the Mediterranean Sea reached right to the front wall. That changed in the 18th century when the area was filled in. The sea is now .5 km (.3 miles) away. In 1487, the newly empowered Catholics set up a convent on the site. But apparently they found themselves too distracted from prayers by the noise of the waves, so it was then a fort for weapons storage, a hospital, and then a medical school, until in 1868, one arch from the original seven 14th-century Moorish arches was saved from demolition and the public market was built with modern iron.
I could have loaded up with so much goodness, but having only just begun my wanderings, I limited myself to a couple of fresh empanadas for lunch, walked to a nearby plaza, and sat on a bench in the sunshine. Then I headed off for some more culture.
Don’t forget to click the photos to increase the deliciousness. The video at the end is a commercial jingle from 1979 that has been running through my head for days. I have no idea why (although I did love Peek Freans).
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PARA ALGUIEN QUE que no cocina, me encanta mirar todos los ingredientes. Málaga tiene algunos mercados públicos grandes y, cada vez que puedo, visito el más cercano a la estación de tren en el casco antiguo. Se llama Mercado Ataranzas, y eso tiene mucho sentido ya que originalmente era una ataranza construido en el siglo XIV cuando el Mar Mediterráneo llegó hasta la pared frontal. Eso cambió en el siglo XVIII. El mar está ahora a .5 km (.3 millas) de distancia. En 1487, los católicos recién empoderados establecieron un convento en el sitio. Pero aparentemente se encontraron demasiado distraídos de las oraciones por el ruido de las olas, por lo que era un fuerte para el almacenamiento de armas, un hospital, y luego una escuela de medicina, hasta que en 1868, un arco de los siete arcos moros originales del siglo XIV fue salvado de la demolición y el mercado público fue construido con hierro moderno.
Podría haber cargado con tanta bondad, pero apenas comencé a pasear, me limité a un par de empanadas frescas para almuerzo, caminé hacia una plaza cercana, y me senté en un banco al sol. Luego me dirigí a un poco más de cultura.
No olvides hacer clic en las fotos para aumentar la delicia. El video al final es un tintineo comercial de 1979 que ha estado corriendo por mi cabeza durante días. No tengo idea de por qué (aunque me encantó Peek Freans).
I didn’t take this photo. 11 March 1906. / No hice esta foto. 11 marzo 1906. 
I took this photo. 16 January 2020. / Hice esta foto. 16 enero 2020. 
These tourists wanted free tastes at a number of shops.
They were indignant when they were refused.
Estos turistas querían gustos gratuitos en varias tiendas.
Estaban indignados cuando fueron rechazados.
Don’t touch the bacalao (dried cod)! (In Sicilian, baccala, is a slang term for vagina.)
The hanging bacalao is from Iceland (Islandia).
“Nueces” means “walnuts,” but the word is used generically for all nuts. Local pecans. 
Hamburger patties: Beef and pork; chicken; beef and chicken; ox. 
Bull’s tail. 
Take a seat outside. They’ll bring one of these to your table as soon as it’s ready.
Toma asiento afuera. Traerán uno de estos a su mesa tan pronto como esté listo.
And out the back. / Y por las puertas traseras.
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Las Letras de la Canción:
Peek Freans son una galleta muy seria.
Están hechos para gustos adultos.
Peek Freans son demasiado buenos para desperdiciarlos en los niños.
Oh, son serios, muy serios.
Peek Freans son extraordinariamente serios.
Si eres un adulto o planeas serlo, sabrás a qué nos referimos.
Peek Freans son una galleta muy seria.
NOTA:
En inglés estadiounidense, “galleta” es “cookie.” En ingles britanico, es “biscuit,” Biscuit es algo completamente diferente en los Estados Unidos.
Peek Freans must be east coast product. I’ve never heard of them. Has SG?
Susan,
Nope, SG and many others never head of them. Originally from England. Made it to Canada, and at least to NYC, since that’s where I saw the commercials. They’re shortbread, so I loved them.
I don’t remember those cookies. lovely market; reminds me of our own. http://www.readingterminalmarket.org
Anne Marie,
Wow! What a cool market. So unusual for the US. I missed a lot by never getting to Philly.
A nice kitchen and access to that market, and I would be happy for the rest of my days. Never heard of the cookies.
David,
Peek Freans must have had a very limited run in the States. Shortbread. And very good… um, serious.
Great market. I’d be there daily!
Bob,
I wish it were around the corner! A great place for good, cheap lunch, too.
I love to go to markets like this in any place we visit. It does give me grief to not be able to buy some things if I can’t cook while visiting but I always look for the things they have there that they don’t have at home. I could do a market tour and forget the tourist attractions!
Sillygirl,
Sevilla had several exceptional and historic markets. I could spend days.
What a wonderful looking market! We have ‘ox tails’ here which are very popular.
Who doesn’t LOVE Peek Freans?!
Jim,
Jerry makes he best shortbread, so I do t have to miss Peek Freans… or Walkers! Jerry loves rabo de toro. Usually too strong for me, but in stew or a burger… I love it!
It all looks pretty good, and I do love to cook.
I’m very interested in Mediterranean foods, the freshness and local production of many products – that I think we lack in the states except for some very expensive, seasonal, “Farmers’ Markets” that most folks could not afford on a regular basis.
I am also very tuned in to the economy of food – here in the states where there are “food deserts” with the void being filled by “Dollar General” or “Family Dollar” which sell highly processed, sugar laden packaged foods.
Seems like the fruits and veggies there are reasonable; some things seem rather expensive; and I am surprised that the burgers have additives: sulfites, glutamate, lactose, coloring. And I’m surprised that there’s a lot of plastic wrapping and containers.
Frank,
Those prepared burgers aren’t very common. Even I would make them myself without the preservatives, etc. Prices depend on season I suppose … or point of origin. But oh it’s all so good!
Peek Freans? Everything looks so good and yummy except for the dried cod. Had to add the Sicilian translation didn’t you. And who jumps on the whole cod vagina thing? Me, naturally.
Deedles,
Peek Freans are simply shortbread cookies. Walkers are fine with me… or San Geraldo’s homemade shortbread!
Walkers? I think that I am only familiar with Lorna Doones and I have a feeling that that is cookie blasphemy.
Deedles:
Walkers Shortbread is from Scotland. We had it as kids and later, whenever my parents visited my sister in England, they returned with a giant tin of it as well as a giant tin of Macintosh Quality Street chocolates (now owned by Nestle). I thought Walkers was the best shortbread in the world until I tasted SG’s. Lorna Doones would do for me in a pinch, but they were never really in the shortbread competition as far as I was concerned.
Visiting markets is one of my favorite things to do – unfortunately when we were in Malaga that market was always closed when we were nearby. We still have Peek Freans in Canada – my favorite is their fruit creme but I rarely buy them because can eat a whole box in one sitting (seriously!). Tourists everywhere are just stupid.
Cheapchick,
I could not believe those two guys. They cl ally had no intention of buying anything. Vendors were all polite but all said “no.”
I think the market appeals to the artist in you, not the cook. Peek Freans are a British cookie. We’ve had them here in Canada forever. They were a fave of mine as a kid but were at the more expensive end of the price scale, so only an occasional treat.
Debra:
Great observation. I think you’re right about why I love the market so much. I had the same reaction to the historic markets in Sevilla. Peek Freans must not have gotten around the States much. I got them (and the tv commercial) in NYC. My mother always said we were poor, but it never stopped her from buying things like Peek Freans. Priorities, I suppose!
I just love such markets it is so beautiful and appetizing at the same time giving you ideas for cuisine. Too bad we do not have such markets here. One of the advantage of living in Europe.
larrymuffin:
It IS something I love about living here. But the contemporary markets don’t do the same thing for me.
I don’t remember Peek Freans. Are they a Brooklyn thing? And I’m being very serious. Seriously.
Walt the Fourth:
Not a Brooklyn thing. Peek Freans came from England. I know they made it to the US (especially since we got that commercial in NYC), but I don’t know how far they reached. Maybe just NYC? Maybe just my house? They’re shortbread, so simply gave me my fix. I know have SG for that shortbread fix.
Never, ever heard of Peek Freans, either. I guess even NJ was deprived of them!
I just caught up on the last three blog posts, and thoroughly enjoyed all three. I looooove markets! And, the ticket machine story… ha!
Judy:
My favorite market in Sevilla was in Triana. It’s built in the remains of the Castillo de San Jorge, seat of the Spanish Inquisition. A much better use of the space… and let’s hope we don’t return to times like those!
In my attempts to learn Spanish I read the Spanish bits first. My eyes widened thinking this one was titled “Tasty Adults”. It was a tad disappointing afterwards.
Urspo,
So sorry to disappoint you!