Why hello there Nibblers. Today we present the travel food photos of globetrotting photographer Jeff Morse, a fellow we met on a Union Square market tour several years ago. Like many of the folks who come on our market tours, Jeff not only seeks out exotic food locally, he has sampled fare around the planet—from China to Tunisia to India. His photos are in our “Food from Afar” exhibit currently on display at the Inside Out Gallery (CVS windows, Davis Square). They are also posted here along with the back stories behind each photo.
Nibble: Where was this photo taken?
Jeff: This is a photo taken in one of Oaxaca’s wonderful food markets. It’s a shot of a woman selling toasted “Chapulines” (grasshoppers), a specialty in Oaxaca. Often they’re prepared with chile, so they can be pretty spicy.
Nibble: Did you taste the food you photographed?
Jeff: I did eat a couple of them. Not for me.
Nibble: Where was this photo taken?
Jeff: This was a small market in the Moroccan town of Chefchaouen. Women had gathered to buy mint and oranges. I liked the interaction between people, and was intrigued by the amount of mint they were buying. It was likely used for mint tea.
Nibble: Did you taste the food you photographed?
Jeff: I did enjoy mint tea. It was delicious, but very sweet.
Nibble: Where was this photo taken?
Jeff: I took this photo while sitting in a tapas bar in Grenada. I was in tapas heaven.
Nibble: Did you taste the food you photographed?
Jeff: Yes. I ate most everything seen in this picture. It was all delicious, especially the mushroom tapas.
Nibble: Where was this photo taken? Did you try any of the food in this picture?
Jeff: This photo was taken inside of a market in Oaxaca. We called it the “Smoke Market,” because there were many open grills, and the air was very smoky. When the light hit the smoke at certain angles, it was very atmospheric and hard to resist taking a photo. I had some of the grilled meats, and they were very good.
Nibble: Would someone be able to find any of these food items in Union Square or other places in Somerville?
Jeff: Union Square grocers carry fresh mint. I would imagine some of the items in the Grenada market photo could be found at Italian grocers such as Sessa’s or Capones. A Brazilian grocery store like Casa de Carne carries many different cuts of eat for grilling. As far as finding chapulines, there’s no place I’m aware of that sells grasshoppers around here.
