Vietnam720: Ben Thanh Market, or Cho Ben Thanh in Vietnamese, by Nina from Miss Adventure in Vietnam. This is part 1 of her 2 parts coverage on Saigon top tourist attractions.

NOTE: I have an updated post on Ben Thanh Market HERE.

Nina: One of the most common sights in Vietnam is food markets. Cho Ben Thanh is the best known market in HCMC. I’ve already posted about the food I’ve been eating at Cho Ben Thanh but I’ve been meaning to have a whole overview of Cho Ben Thanh since there is so much more than just the “food court”. I live a minute away so I am pretty familiar with this market. You can’t get lost like you would in a souk in Morocco but there is definitely a lot to see. I will cover the fresh food section around the market and will have another post on what’s inside.

I live by the north side of the market or by the cua bac (north entry). When we first started living here, The Boyfriend asked me what cua bac meant. Not having started my Vietnamese lessons, I had no idea. Now it’s so obvious! My Vietnamese lessons are already paying dividends (unlike my currently underperforming stocks…)! By the cua bac are flower vendors and fruit vendors. I find the fruit vendors here though quite pricey so I never buy fruit from them. I love going through the doors because it smells like fresh flowers!

Ben Thanh Market

Cua Bac. The north side entry of Cho Ben Thanh.

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

Fresh flower merchants by the northern entry.

Ben Thanh Market

Fruit vendors on Le Thanh Ton St. always stack their fruit nicely but charge a lot.

Right after the flower section, on the right and left side is the fresh food market. This is my favourite section. They sell anything fresh you can think of (and some things you would never think of): vegetables, meat, fish, frogs, seafood, eggs, etc. It is most active in the morning. Customers look at produce and negotiate. Vendors clean fish. I’ve even witnessed passionate arguments with women on the verge of physical altercations. I could learn a few Vietnamese swear words from them. For this section, pictures are worth a thousand words!

Ben Thanh Market

All sorts of fresh vegetables are sold.

Ben Thanh Market

Fresh green peppercorns. I love finding things I’m not used to seeing fresh!

Ben Thanh Market

Freshly grated coconut. You can find a lot of food here already prepped so you can save yourself the hassle: peeled potatoes, sliced onions, minced garlic, etc.

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

Fresh seafood. The shrimps are still alive!

Ben Thanh Market

Fish debris. Eewwwwww!

Ben Thanh Market

Don’t these crabs look beautiful with their bright blue coloured claws?

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

Poor Frogs. Before, and unfortunately after.

Ben Thanh Market

This vendor only sells fake flowers.

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

The meat and fish rows. It can get stinky in here!

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

I don’t know what these are but I was told they’re from the sea…

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

Fresh and dried fish.

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

 All sorts of innards. Looks yummy…!

Ben Thanh Market

Hooves anyone?

Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market

The crab vendor. All picked and ready to eat, or at least cook with. Isn’t this to die for?

Ben Thanh Market

Fresh snails and clams.

Ben Thanh Market

I always buy vegetables here, but did you notice what else she sells??

Ben Thanh Market

Yep, that’s right. Some type of grub.

End of Part 1 of 2. Read Part 2 here. 

Remainder: I have an updated post on Ben Thanh Market HERE.