Joseph Rosendo's Steppin' Out

-Come with me.

It's said a journey of a thousand miles -begins with a single step.

- Steppin' out -Welcome to "Joseph Rosendo's Steppin' Out."

In celebration of my 20th anniversary on PBS and Create TV, we're steppin' out into the wonderful world of markets.

-That's a spider.

-What does it taste like?

Chicken?

-It's very, very similar.

-[ Chuckling ] Very similar to chicken.

-"Joseph Rosendo's Steppin' Out" is made possible by... -Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

From exploring our national parks to learning about art and culture in Italy, we've introduced adults to places, ideas, and friends.

We are Road Scholar.

We make the world our classroom.

-Bazaar, souk, emporium, shotengai.

No matter how you pronounce them, they all mean markets.

And if you know me and my "Travelscope" and "Steppin' Out" shows, you know that I love markets.

Why?

Because that's where you discover the heart and soul of the people.

-Gracias, Josesito.

-[ Laughter ] -And that's true for me in the markets of Tanzania, Africa, to my hometown of Topanga, California.

As part of my PBS and Create TV 20th anniversary celebration, I want to share with you some of my favorite markets from around the world.

Thomas, you're brewing up a cup of mate.

-Yerba mate.

That's right.

-Where's yerba mate come from, Thomas?

-Yerba mate originates in the Atlantic forests of South America, and it's popularly consumed in Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, and Bolivia.

-I was just in Bolivia.

-Mm.

-And El Mercado Rodriguez is one of the largest of the countless markets in La Paz, Bolivia.

I found it to be the perfect place to human-size this city of almost a million people, which scratches the clouds at 12,000 feet.

It's where I stepped out and into the lives of the Indigenous Aymara people.

It's like a garden here in the middle of the street.

-Wow.

I just want to stand here.

-Yeah, sure.

-And look at this.

This is amazing.

Let's go.

Let's go look at these gladioli.

Now, these were the favorite flowers of my aunt.

We called her Tia, which means Aunt "Aunt."

That just gives you an idea of the matriarchal position she had in my family.

Now we're getting vegetables here.

But look how large this market is.

And how far will it go this way, Hector?

-4 or 5 blocks still.

-4 or 5 blocks.

-It never stop, this one.

-This is one of the dozens and dozens and dozens of markets in La Paz.

It's hard to imagine where all this food is going, but it's going somewhere.

Hola.

-Hola, cmo est?

Buen da.

-Cmo estn?

Buen da.

Look at the different potatoes.

Sweet potato right here.

-That's the oca we had last night.

-And that's yucca.

-Por eso eres yuca.

[ Laughter ] -What did she say?

-"That's why he looks like a yucca.

-[ Laughs ] -Dyes white.

-So white.

So white, like the yucca.

Gracias, seora.

Oh, yeah.

That's good.

-This is sweet.

-You know, people talk about being in Paris and sitting in a caf and people-watching.

This is even better people-watching.

Sitting on a bench in front of the lady who makes coffee and watching the world go by in this one market.

There's 80 markets in La Paz.

Is this one of the most popular?

-One of the most popular, yeah.

It's cheaper, and it's fresh, as you can smell and see.

Fruit, vegetables, everything comes fresh.

-We came through the flowers.

The flowers is like walking through a garden.

Markets have been a part of everything I've done on my shows.

It's a good way to begin a trip in any country, 'cause it kind of sets you and gets you steppin' out on the right foot, because it's where you get a sense of the people.

You get a sense of the different cultures.

Of course you get the sense of what the country grows, and you get to have a personal experience with people.

It's absolutely wonderful.

That was my first day in Bolivia, and it plunged me right into the culture.

Topanga is my home market, and in keeping with our California culture, there is everything from homemade breads, organic fruits and vegetables, artisan yogurts, South American mate, and Topanga-themed products like spirulina.

-Welcome, Joseph.

-Timothy, how are you doing?

-Excellent.

How you doing?

-What is spirulina?

-Spirulina is a blue green algae going back 4 billion years old.

Have a sample.

-And what does it do for me?

-Has a lot of amino acids, a lot of proteins, a lot of enzymes, a lot of amino acids, very beneficial for human existence.

-Mmm.

Yeah.

Turn my mouth green?

-It sure has.

-[ Laughs ] I'll have one.

Now, what does this do for us?

-The pyramid is an auric transducer.

Helps enhance my energy and the energy of the people around me.

-Okay.

Well, thank you so much.

-Nice seeing you, Joseph.

-I found many goods in markets around the world equally as unique as spirulina.

How about yummy grubs from the Peruvian Amazon?

Crunchy fried crickets from Guatemala?

And in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, a vendor stall full of tasty spiders.

Throughout Southeast Asia, markets are a hub of activity and can offer a wealth of unusual and unexpected surprises.

-That's a spider.

-Yeah?

-And this is a cockroach.

-You like these?

-I like it.

Also, my family like it.

-Okay.

How much are they?

-[ Conversing in Khmer ] Only 50 cent, like 2,000 Riel.

-What a deal.

-That's a spider.

-I want to eat it right now.

-This is a real life spider.

No, it's a dead spider, real dead spider.

-Dead spider.

That's fried spider.

-Okay, you take -- Okay.

-Let's just eat it.

-Yeah.

Go ahead.

Take another bite.

-It tastes nice.

-It does?

-Yeah.

-What does it taste like?

-Chicken?

-Mm, yes, it's very, very similar.

-[ Chuckling ] Very similar to chicken.

That's funny.

I was never one for bizarre foods.

Yet I've been a travel journalist for more than 40 years, so I eat everything, drink everything, and do everything.

[ Laughter ] -Whoo-hoo!

-Pica.

-My mouth is on fire.

My motto is everything in moderation... [ All cheering in global language ] ...including excess.

Here in Topanga, you'll find the taste leans to the healthy eclectic.

Gluten-free, vegan, keto, and particularly organic are words you hear often.

Many Topangans are vegetarians.

Some folks, like me, consider ourselves pescatarians, fish lovers.

Now, nowhere in the world have I seen such an abundance of fish than in Taiwan.

Of course, you would expect to find great fish on an island, and Taiwan is an island that has its own islands, including the fish lover's Mecca, Penghu.

The islands of the Penghu archipelago were originally called Ilhas dos Pescadores by the 16th century Portuguese sailors, which means Island of the Fishermen.

And the first Chinese settlers and fishermen came here as early as the ninth century.

Now, an early morning visit to any of the network of ports here on the Magong Island or throughout the islands will make it very clear to you that the sea is still a major source of survival for the islanders.

This is the main hall here at the market.

The fishing boats have brought in their catch.

All sorts of different kinds of fish are on the floor, and the retailers are purchasing from the wholesalers in bulk -- restaurants, hotels, other fish markets.

Each of the buyers is given a number, and they lay it on the fish that they want.

I don't even know how everybody keeps track of things, but it's been going on for centuries.

-Is this your fish?

-Yes.

We have small boat, and we have four people on the boat.

-You were sailing for two days, three nights.

Is the fishing still good?

-So, so many fish.

So many islands.

You know, I've been to lots of markets in the world, and I love markets.

It's where the people come and you get a real flavor of the destination.

But nothing is like this fish market.

I mean, I've got blood, fish guts all over me.

Everything is splashing around.

It's buying and selling going on and all sorts of different fish, many of them, I've never seen before.

And these are being sold directly to the people who come every day to get their fish.

Peter, Peter.

It's my guide, Peter.

What kind of fish are these?

-[ Conversing in Mandarin ] It's [Speaks Mandarin] fish.

Uh, some sort of like, um, snappers.

-[ Chuckles ] That's a good description.

Some kind of snappers.

Look at the little baby squid.

-Oh, they are ready for eating.

-You should try one.

-Oh, me?

Okay.

-Oh.

Very fresh.

-[ Speaks Mandarin ] -She said, "Eat more, please."

-[ Laughs ] Oh, wow.

They're very, very good.

-They're really good.

So fresh.

-Here, have another one.

-Oh.

-I'll have one.

[ Laughter ] This is a little bit big.

What is this fish here?

-Grouper.

-Grouper, I know, probably one of the only fish so far I know, except for squid.

There's thousands and thousands of pounds of fish -that come here every day.

-And people come to Penghu -to eat seafood.

-That's what they come here for, one of the attractions.

Ah, we've certainly followed the fish story all the way from the boats to the wholesale market.

Now we're here at the retail market, Beicheng.

But there's more than fish here.

There is fish, and there's shrimp, different kinds of seafood.

But there's chicken.

"Cock-a-doodle-doo!"

Chicken feet, delicacy here in Taiwan and all the Chinese cultures.

There's a whole floor of other meats upstairs.

There's vegetables.

Ah, nice tomatoes.

And then outside, under the umbrellas, is where the local people bring their goods from their gardens to make a little money on the side.

-Do you speak English?

-Yes, yes.

-Wow.

Ni hao.

What is that?

-It's winter melon.

-[ Laughs ] -Huge.

Gigantic.

-Really huge, right?

-It's bigger than her.

Where are you from?

-I'm from Taipei.

I got vacation in Penghu.

-What do you do when you're here?

-Um, just looking around and then go to the Qimei Island and come back here and -- Everything tourists do, I do.

-Laying back, going to the beach, that kind of thing?

-Yes.

Of course.

-Wow.

Did you see that winter melon?

One of the joys of going to markets around the world is to discover what the local version of our foods look like.

The more unique the destination, the more exotic the foods and the people you meet.

I found that to be especially true in Ethiopia.

Look at these.

In the markets of Southern Ethiopia, I encountered the tribal people of the Omo Valley.

Arba Minch and the Dorze Village are stepping stones in my travels to Ethiopia's undeveloped south.

On Route 9, a periodically paved highway, we drive for four hours through the hot, dry pasture and agricultural lands of the south Omo tribes.

Children station themselves along the road and do their best to catch the eyes and coins of passing tourists, while streams of visitors make their way to the Key Afer market.

I followed them to where the pavement ends and my real journey begins.

It's Thursday.

It's market day for the Banna and the Tsemay people.

And here at the market, they can buy and sell spices and clothes and crafts and arts.

But the reason they come here is not so much for the buying and selling, and they come a long distance to come here to the marketplace.

It's to come together.

[ Greeting in a global language ] Very nice to meet you.

Now, what do you have here?

-Actually, this is for the hand and for the neck.

-Uh-huh.

-This one from the banana peels.

-Now, did you make this yourself?

-Yeah, yeah.

-It's made from copper?

-Yeah, it's copper from -- -Okay.

Now, what is this?

I'm very interested in the gourds.

-Okay, this one for the Banna bag now, this one.

-Banna?

-Bag.

Bag.

That means they put food and the money bags.

-Okay.

-For the females now, they use it now.

And they can mix like this one... -Ah, very handy.

-...for the females now.

-Do you put water?

-No, no, this is not for water.

-What are these?

-Okay, this one from the Banna peoples, the Hamer, and the Tsemay.

The three tribes, they makes.

They sit in.

They sleep with now like this.

-So it's a pillow?

-Yeah, yeah.

-So you put your -- you put your head on it.

-Yeah, yeah.

-And you also sit on it.

-Yeah.

-Pretty ingenious.

-Yeah.

The design -- -And which tribe is this?

-This is from Hamer, Banna.

-Hamer, Banna.

-Yeah.

-Can you give me a deal on it?

-Yeah.

-150?

-Okay, give me, because we are friends now.

-Okay.

-Okay.

-Now, how do I say thank you?

-[ Speaks global language ] -What?

-[ Speaks global language ] -[ Speaking global language ] -Yeah.

-[ Speaks global language ] -Oh, yeah.

[ Speaks global language ] -After years of travel, I've learned that good things come to those who persevere.

This part of the market, they're selling coffee bean shells.

From what I understand, is that in this part of the valley, they like to make coffee out of coffee bean shells because it's actually stronger.

And of course, it's less expensive.

Ethiopia, by the way, is the birthplace of coffee.

The story goes that there was a goat herder up in the hills, and he noticed that when his goats chewed on a particular berry, they got all frisky.

So he thought he'd give it a try.

And sure enough, it made him pretty excited and made him feel good, too.

How you doing?

[ Both laugh ] See, nice and smiling and being happy.

So then he took it to the monks, and he gave it to them, and they ripped it away from him, because he was eating the devil's fruit.

And they threw it into the fire, and it started roasting, and the smell of those coffee beans roasting made the monks change their mind.

And we're so happy they did.

-Here.

-[ Speaks global language ] -[ Chuckles ] In northern Ethiopia, in the town of Aksum, where it's said you can find the Queen of Sheba's Palace and the Ark of the Covenant, I met a man with jaws of steel and a heart of gold.

For close to a thousand years, the Aksumite Empire derived its ancient wealth and power from its fertile lands, natural resources, and primarily its location on the rich trade routes of Africa and Asia.

At Aksum's chaotic Saturday market, it's easy to imagine what it must have been like to visit the bazaar during its heyday.

This is the kind of markets I love, hundreds and hundreds of people, and they're selling all sorts of interesting things.

Look at these little tomatoes.

This lady came from 15 kilometers away, and these came right out of her garden.

On market day, people come from long ways.

I mean, they'll walk for an hour or more just to get here.

They start about 11: 00 or a little bit later, 'cause it takes time for people to get to the market.

This is an interesting parking lot here at the Aksum market.

You have camels.

You have donkeys.

I thought this was where they were selling the animals.

But as a matter of fact, this is the mode of transportation in this region.

The Aksum market is a commodities market.

It's a food market.

And also there's grains here.

We have barley.

We have wheat.

There's millet here that they make a local beer from.

-[ Laughs ] -He's a good-natured guy.

He's a, you know, he's -- he's happy to have to speak to us.

-[ Speaking a global language ] -What?

What?

Eat?

But what kind -- But you have to -- How do you cook it?

Ah.

Yeah.

My God, it's as hard as a rock.

And he's chewing it right down, breaking -- He must have jaws of steel.

Oh, it makes you big and fat?

Ah.

[ Laughs ] Makes you healthy and big and -- [ Grain crunching ] -It's gonna break my teeth.

-[ Laughs ] I've learned in the markets here in Ethiopia that it's not just a matter of a place to buy and sell.

It's a matter of a place to come together.

And this gentleman seems to be making the most out of his stay here.

[ Speaks a global language ] And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the markets of Europe and especially France, where I can always sample the best of the continent, including my favorite food, oysters.

Ah.

[ Indistinct conversations ] -If you know "Travelscope," you know what I feel about markets.

It's where you feel the heart and soul of a village, a town, a city.

And it's where you meet the people.

Bonjour!

[ Laughs ] This is a wonderful market.

Look, my favorite fishmonger and, what's more important, oyster purveyor who has the perfect name to sell oysters -- Champagne!

-Bonjour, Champagne.

-Oh!

-Comment a va?

-Oh, my friend, how are you?

-Well, bon, bon.

Et vous?

-Okay.

-Wonderful.

-So, I need some oysters to have now.

-How many apiece?

Three and three?

-Three and three?

Yeah, oui, oui.

-Oh, look.

I brought my own gloves.

I can help you.

I can help you.

-Oui, oui, oui, oui.

Yeah.

I'll be working for you.

-And the knife?

-Yeah.

Oh, ici.

Voila.

Good?

C'est bon?

Okay.

I'll help you.

-One for you, mister.

-Okay, let's see.

[ Whistles ] Look at that.

Uh-huh.

Well, good or no?

-You show me.

You show me.

-Look.

-Look, okay.

Oh, like that on the top.

Oh, look at that.

I like my way.

Okay, okay.

- I did it my way -Perfect.

-Again.

-Right there?

He does it on the side, which is unusual.

Perfect.

Perfect.

Let me put one there.

[ Speaks French ] -Try it now.

-Okay.

Okay.

-Sant.

[ Laughs ] -Mmm!

-[ Speaks French ] Mmm!

Mmm, mmm!

I'm a two-fisted oyster eater.

[ Slurps ] Mmm.

Ah!

Perfect.

Et vous?

-For me?

-You have a lot.

-Yeah.

-Combien?

-Zero.

-Oh, merci beaucoup.

-For my friend?

-[ Laughs ] This is the famous dessert from this area that you can get in St.

Cirq-Lapopie.

Bon appetit.

But you can also find them here in the market.

Everybody is different.

Everybody's recipe different.

This lady makes it herself.

Can I have a small one?

-Yes.

-Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Merci beaucoup.

Neuf?

-Neuf.

-Merci.

-Merci beaucoup.

What's nice about the local markets is that you get to taste all of the special products from a particular region, and they'll change from every parts of France.

But here in the Lot, you'll end up with all sorts if things.

A lot of it is directly from here, particularly when you get to the wine.

This year is 2022.

They're celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Cahors appellation, which is mostly Malbec.

One of the best ways to work a market in France is to look for the longest lines and the most popular places.

It may take a while to get what you want, but you know you're at the right shop.

This shop creates all of their duck sausages, all their meat.

So we got our appetizer, the oysters, and we've got our dessert, the lou pastis.

Let's see what else we could get for maybe a little second course.

This is duck country -- breast of duck, you have legs of duck, they have duck sausage, for sure.

And that's always a great thing to buy for your picnics is your duck sausage.

Well, the duck sausage satisfies a need for some charcuterie, which is an important part of a French meal.

When you think of France, what's the other food product you might think of?

Fromage -- cheese.

Come with me.

Remember my tip -- if you want to know who are the best purveyors here in the market, go to the longest lines and wait the longest.

And by the way, goat cheese, in France, you would ask for chvre, which is goat.

But the special goat cheese of this area is from the town of Rocamadour up in the north, just a little bit from here.

They come in a range from fresh to more and more mature.

They all have different flavors, and you get to enjoy them all.

So I'm getting in line and getting a bunch of them.

-Here we are.

[ Speaking in French ] -Ah, merci beaucoup.

-Merci beaucoup.

-Bonne journee.

-Bonne journee.

So, I got my cheese.

And how do you remember the French for cheese?

France and fromage -- they go together well.

That's probably why Charles de Gaulle, the president of France, said, "How can you rule a country that has 750 different cheeses?"

Well, now they have probably 1,500 different cheeses.

And that's why it's so difficult to be the president of France.

I've collected an abundance of riches from the market and just a bit of the bounty from the Lot region.

Now, the outdoor market is here every Wednesday and Saturday.

-Merci.

-Merci, merci beaucoup.

Le Halle, the indoor market, is here every day until 3:00, so you can always get a great taste of the Lot in Cahors.

-Allez.

Goodbye.

-Thank you for helping me celebrate 20 years on PBS and Create TV and for steppin' out with me in the markets of the world.

Until we meet again, remember the words of Mark Twain.

"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness."

May your next adventure always be your best.

-"Joseph Rosendo's Steppin' Out" is made possible by... -Since 1975, we've inspired adults to learn and travel in the United States and in more than 100 countries.

From exploring our national parks to learning about art and culture in Italy, we've introduced adults to places, ideas, and friends.

We are Road Scholar.

We make the world our classroom.

-For a DVD of the "Travelscope" and "Steppin' Out" episodes featured in my anniversary show, and to get my memoir and travel book "Musings," call 888-876-3399, or to order online, go to travelscope.net, josephrosendo.com, or e-mail me at [email protected].

Now that we've stepped out and celebrated the world's markets together, learn more at josephrosendo.com, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my magazine, blog, podcast, and social media.

Stay in touch.

888-876-3399 or e-mail me at [email protected].

Oh, peppers.

Why don't you have one?

-Now?

-Yeah, just take a bite.

What are they called?

-Rocket pepper.

-[ Chuckling ] Rocket.

-Rocket pepper.

-Rocket pepper.

-'Cause after you eat it, you take off.

Go ahead.

-So you gonna kill me by this way?

-Go ahead, go ahead.

-You eat?

- Steppin' out -This smells hot.

Go ahead.

- Steppin' out -[ Laughs, sighs ] -Yeah.

-Not so bad, yeah?

-Whew!

Let's go.

-[ Laughs ] - Steppin' out