Expensive cheeses and other Toucy, France Shopping Tips

Name of Shop: Toucy market

This stall is one of the most enticing of the whole market, in my opinion. You can taste liberally (and you get no small piece to taste either). The stall owner encourages you to taste all his cheeses. And of course you buy. Now there... be careful! These cheeses are VERY expensive. So buy small pieces or you'll spend a fortune. It is worth it though.

What To Buy: Beautiful cheeses with great flavour. You should taste to know.

What To Pay: 44,75 per kilo for the Cantal

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Center of Toucy
Directions: You can't miss it, the market is everywhere!

Name of Shop: Onion stall

On the Saturday market (till noon), you'll find an onion stall with an amazing variety of onions, echalottes, garlic...
I couldn't imagine life without their indispensable taste given to great dishes. Especially garlic!

What To Buy: A cheese sandwich with finely sliced echalottes will keep people away for the rest of the day but it is so delicious!


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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: Toucy

Name of Shop: Bread stall

On the Saturday market in Toucy (until noon), you'll find this bread stall. Who says that the French bread is only those long thin loaves? There's a wide variety, like these giant wholemeal loaves or the lovely, almost cake-like brioche that stays fresh for a week.
The reason it stays fresh is that it is kneaded many times before baking.



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Theme: Food and Drink

Name of Shop: Clothes stall

On the Saturday market in Toucy I saw these cotton like garments in 2 or 3 stalls. I don't know if they're a local way of dressing. In fact, I didn't see anyone wearing it. But it was all in one style and colour.



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Theme: Women's Clothes

Name of Shop: Cheese stall

On the Saturday market in Toucy (until noon) I relished these big mountains of fresh dairy butter. French butter is so good. There are a lot of varieties from different regions. I especially like butter from Normandy and Bretagne where the butter is a bit salty and sometimes seasalt crystals are added.
Basically you buy 'doux' (unsalted) or 'demi-sel' (lightly salted).



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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: TOUCY

Name of Shop: Asian carpet stall

The salesman at the Saturday market in Toucy uses a street statue to display his goods. Obviously, the little boy had a long day even before noon so he fell asleep. Isn't that sweet?



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Theme: Home Furnishing
Address: TOUCY

Name of Shop: Flower stall

Summer plants and flowers are quite expensive in France, compared to The Netherlands. But on the market you can buy quite cheaply. After all, with a little TLC, they grow to be big all by themselves!
The French like to grow flowers, as I've noticed all up and down the country. In the countryside, the gardens and house walls outside are crammed with flower pot plants which give a bright and vivid impression. Even in towns, people tend to have hanging baskets filled with flower plants.



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Theme: Flowers
Address: TOUCY

Name of Shop: Market impression

On Saturday mornings the little town of Toucy crams its narrow streets with maybe 100 stalls or more. The market is a meeting place and I love them!
Browsing the stalls teaches you a lot about the culture of the place. As well as watching people!



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Theme: Other

Name of Shop: Another cheese stall

Often you find stalls with only different kinds of goat's cheese (called chevre). Goat's cheese salad is great, with bits of cheese on bread, melted in the oven. Or the little 'crottins' (small goats cheeses that would fit snugly in the palm of your hand or even smaller), marinated in olive oil with thyme. Or a goat's Brie that melts off your plate. I'm salivating as I type!



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Theme: Food and Drink

Name of Shop: French pastries

In a little bakery in one of the streets I found these elaborate cakes, a far cry from the usual pain au chocolat or other more 'breakfasty' pastries. Look at the 3rd row from the right: little coffee cups made of nutty caramel, filled with some sort of praline...


What To Pay: around 2 euro a piece

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Theme: Food and Drink
Address: TOUCY