The Rialto Market has a reputation as one of the great markets of the world, but ultimately I think much of that comes down to location. It also seems to have somewhat diminished since the last time I visited in 2016, with many empty stalls in the fruit and veg section, and lots of space in the fish market. It’s also well laid out and relatively orderly. The Catania fish market, on the other hand, is anything but.
I say “fish market” because that’s how it’s referred to, being the main hub for seafood. But it’s a general food market where you can buy anything you need for your weekly food shop, along with a wide variety of street food and sit-down eateries. You can try smoky charcoal barbequed artichokes, grilled swordfish and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice, plus lots of other local delicacies. It’s chaotic, loud, vibrant, with lots of local colour and a cast of characters who would all be walk-up starts as extras in The Godfather. It’s also possibly a bit dangerous, with cars mixing with the throng and scooters zipping back and forth.
It’s not all chaos though. I was particularly taken with one fish vendor who had the neatest fish stall in the market. The neatness was maintained through his constant re-arranging of the display, in between serving customers and drawing on the cigarette resting nearby. It’s something of which he was clearly very proud.
