12 Mouthwatering Market Finds Slideshow

The Pro's Ranch Market in Phoenix is an enormous outpost of Latin American flavors, ingredients, and foods, from dulce de leche to sweet horchata. But make your way to the tortilleria, where you can watch fresh tortillas being made before sampling them.

La Boqueria is one of the most famous and storied markets in the world, its legendary stained glass entrance pictured everywhere. While it is known for selling all kinds of fresh, local fruits, fish, and meats, one of the best experiences the market offers is at Pinotxo Bar located inside. Locals and travelers line up for the tripe stew in a tomato-based broth and the pan con tomate.

The farmers markets in Paso Robles, and really all over the region, are filled with fragrant and colorful fresh vegetables, fruits, herbs, and local treats like Joycups' homemade chocolate peanut butter cups. They're sold only at local gourmet food shops and farmers markets, and come in flavors like espresso sea salt, olallieberry and raspberry with merlot sea salt, blueberry and lemon with fleur de sel, and local raw honey with vanilla bean sea salt.

They may be small pleasures in a sea of a bustling people buying all sorts of local ingredients, but trying a fresh lychee from a market stall is a pleasure indeed. There are many stalls offering lychees, so find a seller who will peel it for you so you can pop it in your mouth right there. You won't stop at just one.

One of Mexico City's biggest markets, Mercado de la Merced offers sights, scents, and tastes from all over Mexico, from stacks of cactus pads to huge piles of fresh garlic. Often called the Mexican truffle, huitlacoche can be found fresh (not canned) at Mercado de la Merced, as can freshly fried and delectable churros doused in cinnamon and sugar.

Milan's Peck Market is a sleek, multilevel gourmet food shop offering everything from local Italian chocolates and wines to a wide array cured meats and cheeses. Choose between the enormous selection of Parmesan cheeses and salame and make yourself an alfresco Milanese picnic.

What could be better than strolling through market aisles before sitting down for a few freshly shucked oysters? The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco offers just that with the Hog Island Oyster Company. It has a 25-seat oyster bar for market-goers to take a load off and enjoy oysters on the half-shell or perhaps some steamed clams, clam chowder, or oyster stew washed down with champagne.

The legendary Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is also the world's largest. Within its confines there are stalls selling fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, and a number of restaurants that largely offer sushi. One of the best is Sushi Dai, where locals line up to snag one of 15 or so seats for the freshest, mouthwatering sushi around.

Oistin's may look like just the local fish market in Barbados, but it's so much more. It's a destination in itself, offering the day's freshest catch grilled to order and handmade fish beignets with Scotch bonnet sauce to visitors by day, and turning into full-fledged nightlife by night.

At more than 130 years old, the Queen Victoria Market is doing something right. Actually, it does a lot of things right, not least of which are sausages from the Bratwurst Shop, savory pastries like homemade meat pies, quiches, cheese turnovers, fresh local produce, and rows and rows of butcher stalls.

Cusco's San Pedro Market is an endless covered market filled with butcher stalls, fresh produce, baked goods, and, toward the back, stalls manned by one local woman apiece who cooks quick and lip-smackingly good Cusquenian specialties. If you try only two things from San Pedro Market they should be the freshly boiled (and enormous) ears of corn sold straight from the pot, and a bowl of thick potato soup with herbs.

Granville Island Market is one of the best known food markets in North America, offering all kinds of rare and local ingredients, seasonal specialties, and prepared foods. One of the best treats to find within its walls is fresh and seasonal focaccia at Terra Breads. If you can't stop there, go for cookies from Chef Kev, cheeses from Farm House Cheeses, and artichokes from Glen Valley Artichokes.