Umag market

Why it is worth your time

The Umag market is the best introduction to what Istria is known for beyond the sea: olive oil, cheese, prosciutto, honey, truffles and seasonal fruit and vegetables from the surrounding fields, all in one place and mostly from producers who bring it themselves. The market works every morning, best before nine, and the offer follows the seasons: spring brings wild asparagus, summer tomatoes, peaches and figs, autumn truffles, new oil and wine, winter citrus and cured meats. Oil is often offered for tasting, and the difference between the Istrian varieties buza, karbonaca and bjelica will be explained by the very person who pressed it.

Beside the stalls work a fish market and several shops with local products to take away. Prices are lower than in the shops of the tourist zone, and the quality better. For guests in an apartment this is the smartest way to eat Istrian rather than touristic: the market in the morning, lunch on the terrace.