Wandering the Central Market

 What a fun morning to wander the Central Market where you can find so many Spanish treats.

Our mission was to find the best saffron.  Jenni had taken a paella class years ago that included a market tour to find the ingredients.  We easily found the stall.  You can choose from the Coupe (on the left) or the Selecta on the right.  The Coupe is picked at the start of the day and is a bright red.  Highest quality.  The Selecta is picked during the heat of the day, and it's a duller red.  Of course, we came all the way to Spain so we bought the Couple.  

The owner gave us the most delicious saffron-honey hard candy.  I don't typically like hard candy but this is delicious.  Not too sweet but lots of flavor.  

In the photo below, you might be able to make out the canister with the smoked paprika piled high.  Amazing colors and smells at this stall.

We wandered along and found great fruits, nuts, and of course sweets..

And Spain loves their ham, cheese and we are served potatoes where ever we go...  I got a lengthy tutorial on how Iberian hams are made.  And why they are better than serrano ham.  Only to learn that Iberian ham cannot be exported to USA!!

A great day at the market ends with tea and delightful local pastries.