Falling in Love with Food at Granville Island Market

The author (left) and her sister savour the flavours of Granville Island Market

My sister and I love food, so the thought of spending an afternoon exploring the endless temptations on offer at the urban food Mecca that is Granville Island Market got our hearts racing

If there is anywhere in Vancouver bursting with rich flavours, textures, colours and aromas, it’s Granville Island Public Market. It’s the perfect place to spend an afternoon perusing a palatable plethora of gastronomical delights, and as my sister and I soaked up the seductive scents and addictive atmosphere, we couldn’t help but admit what a passionate place Granville Island Public Market actually is.

Passion in the Produce Section

“What do you think is the sexiest food in the market?” I teased, and to my surprise, my big sister made a beeline for a shiitake mushroom. Yes, you heard right, a shiitake mushroom.

I forgave her for picking out this smoky little king of the fungal world, famed as a symbol of, erm, ‘longevity’ in Asia, and containing eritadenine, which lowers cholesterol – so it’s good for your heart. I found it a little weird, I have to admit, but I forgave her.

Then, before I knew it, she’d pounced on a blood orange. “That’s gorgeous,” she breathed as she admired its plump, crimson flesh.

Blood oranges are rich in vitamin C, which is good for the adrenal gland – the gland that produces the hormone that stimulates orgasm. So yet again, it would seem that there was method in my big sister’s mushroom-and-orange-loving madness.

Before I knew it she was caressing dragon fruit, stroking asparagus and fondling a Bosc pear. I found myself looking lasciviously at a tray of ripe red strawberries and I realized that the time had come to get out of the fresh produce section.

The Delights of the Dessert Section

After paying my respects to Casanova at the oyster stand (the world’s greatest lover indulged in some 20 oysters a day), I found myself in the dessert section.

My heart pounded as I stumbled upon a triple berry crumble. Oozing with blueberry, blackberry, cranberry and rhubarb gooeyness, this crumble was messy and bittersweet – just like my last love affair, really.
In the food court section, I looked up and saw a big sign that read ‘The Art of Freshness.’ I was feeling rather fresh myself by this stage, so I sidled up to the hot dog stand.

The air was thick with the scent of grilled onions. I told the guy behind the counter that I would try out whatever he suggested, and I was artfully provided with a zinger hot dog.

As I relished in my hot dog, a busker started to serenade my sister and I with his violin. If music be the food of love, then we were most definitely enjoying a tasty little moment.

And as I stopped by the hot dog stand on my way out to let the guy know just how wonderful my hot dog was, he looked me in the eye with concern and asked: “Was it too hot?”

Too hot for me? To indulge in a piping hot zinger hot dog in the very heart of Vancouver while a violinist serenaded me with romantic overtures? Hot dogs certainly don’t come any hotter than that!

Vickie Sam Paget is a freelance journalist who recently arrived in Vancouver. Hailing from England and having spent the last decade writing for newspapers and magazines in Ireland, Vickie is falling desperately in love with her new home. When she’s not gazing in adoration at the beauty of her new hometown, she can usually be found curled up with a book or enjoying a wee pint in the nearest Irish bar.