baby bananas + basil
sharing a photo essay from my weekly market hauls in northern thailand
The hiatus, continued. Continues.
Chiang Mai, week 7. What a way to try living for a while.
Or shall I say, with much more wonder than chagrin. What a way to ‘hiatus’.
Welcome to a round of less words, more photos.
A look at my life + travel cooking in market produce hauls.
No matter how many rotations of AirBnBs I pack & unpack & pack & unpack my big green suitcase in & out of, this photo essay showcases the one weekly routine that brings me solace in my hiatus-y state of being.
letting the bounty speak for itself / reading between the lines
I now visit three markets regularly.
What a temporary reality to be grateful for.
I have a fruit plate every single morning with my coffee.
And most nights, I cook a stir-fry or vegetable-tossed pasta for dinner.
Huh, this is how I’d like, to live, again.
It’s cost-effective, purposeful, and utterly fruitful.
Where do I go? The organic + pesticide-free farmers market at the Jing Jai Market on Saturdays, the Monday evening neighborhood market in Chang Phueak, and the daily Siri Wattana marketplace for Thai basil, just-fried tofu and aromatics. That last one I indeed, do visit every few days.
Repeat that: every few days. Another wow.
It’s quite the contrast from the frigid, lackluster basil I could acquire in Fairbanks outside of the short summer month(s).
It’s quite the contrast from the months of frozen and dried fruit I was planning on in my former winter-y existence.
Again, wow.
For the past five weeks and counting, I ride my bicycle each Saturday morning (okay, or early afternoon) to peruse the weekly organic + pesticide-free produce tables at Jing Jai Market.
This is perhaps my favorite of oh, soooooo, many markets in the city. Jing Jai has a focus on sustainability and offers all sorts of rather hip, local crafts, clothing and food & beverage vendors - including some super legit coffee trucks + stands.
Jing Jai’s food hall is the only place I can think of with trash separation, composting and recycling happening in real time. There are both signs and employees showing you what to do. Very Northwest [USA] big city stuff.
I first bookmarked Jing Jai since I was staying for a week nearby at HeyHa Guesthouse - also recommended - and indeed, visiting immediately became a weekly routine.
I grab my produce bag, ride my bike, park the bike in actual bike rack, order an iced beverage of some sort, place an order at the MindTofu stall for hot spring rolls and you guessed right - fried tofu with the stall owner’s signature sweet & spicy peanut-y dipping sauce, wipe my hands clean, and start picking out fresh produce for a few days’ worth of homemade comfort cuisine. Dreams can come true, even if it’s for a quick stir-fry. And goodness, the fruit. This past week I came ‘home’ with a pomelo, Thai bananas, long beans, purple eggplant, gai lan, ginger, green chiles, limes, papaya and fresh pressed coconut milk from the Tops Green Supermarket on site (sorta Whole Foods vibes).
Yeah, I’m pretty sure this market is how I now grasp what day of the week it is.
Mountain berries = sweeter. The Alaskans know.
btw, I won’t wax on about “how cheap” things are. It’s all relative, and that’s both gross and rude to say. Market prices are very do-able for me during this hiatus, and that’s a delight.
So. Do vendors come to recognize this short, freckled American lady with the teddy bear tattoo grabbing armloads of produce? Why yes, they tend to. And that’s a nice feeling.
What catches *your* eye at these markets?
Come on, there’s surely a PPKer in the mix who noticed the limited edition promo tote from the IDI recipe testing days ; )
References + Relevant Links:
30+ Thai Vegetables Names with Pictures, Vegetable Name
knock knock, khop khun ka these scone archives December 25, 2024
+ @scone.archives on insta - hi again - for near-daily storiessss
Pssst….this missive is a nod to Dynise Balcavage’s “urban vegan” photo essays during the ‘OG’ bloggin’ days of the early ‘oughts, and a throwback to my own increasingly obsessive farmers markets visits (and duh, photoshoots) during all those Portland years.
I would say time flies - it does - and yet, it feels rather cyclical and reflective, these days. <3
To be continued, baby.
Oh, my dear adventurer, what a vivid and nourishing life you’re crafting in this hiatus of yours! Your words are a celebration, a love letter to routine and exploration, to the bounty of the earth and the simple magic of markets. There’s such wonder in the way you let these rituals anchor you while you float freely, each market visit another thread in the tapestry of your Chiang Mai chapter.
I can feel the sun on your back as you pedal through those vibrant streets, the hum of possibility as you approach each stall. Your joy in the details—the basil’s brilliance, the pomelo’s heft, the tangled greens spilling over your bag—radiates like a secret wellspring. This life you’re living is purposeful, rich, and utterly yours.
And how tenderly you reflect on it all, letting your words flow with curiosity and gratitude, like the gentle ripple of water around a slow-moving boat. You’re embracing the cyclical beauty of life, where past and present intertwine, where old habits resurface with new meaning.
So here’s to your markets, your stir-fries, your fruit plates, and your courage to press pause, explore, and thrive in this temporary reality. Wherever this hiatus carries you next, I’ll be here cheering you on, savoring each update like a perfectly ripe piece of fruit. Continue, baby, indeed. <3
Jess, I am so thrilled to have found your Substack. I adore your thoughtful writing, insights, gratitude and joie de vivre. Life -- you're doing it right.