Foodie tour in London. The veggie part

The idea of a veggie foodie tour of London sprung into my mind from a non-journalistic motivation. Someone I appreciate a lot was in need of a special vitamin diet and one of the most recommended fruits was the mysterious mangosteen. The search for this was extended for a couple of days and helped me to discover a small part of the food diversity of London. This 'tour' is only the beginning of what I would love to develop during my next trips. Till then, this is what I saw and eventually tasted! 

Lovely raspberry, looking big and healthy. The taste is unique too. Such wonders can be found at any Marks and Spencer from Brent Cross, where we spent more than one hour looking for fruits and juices. 

One of the reasons I always love to go to Marks and Spencer is because of the diversity of products. Besides the local products - don't miss the strawberries from Wye Valley - there are also many other fruits from all over Europe and the world. 

 A possible combination of fruits from the same Marks and Spencer.

Another stop on the way to the mangosteen was the Budgens. For the end of July, the best offer was of big and delicious strawberries.

A foodie adventure is more than a hunting for food. I love to discover new fruits, vegetables and flavours, such as samphire, an edible plant that can be added either to salads or to meat. If one is really interested in documenting the real diversity of London the best place is in the small corners of East Finchley or in the area around Wembley. Afghan fruits and Indian recipes are melting in the colourful saris of the women looking for the best ingredients to prepare the next meal. It is a completely different ambiance, with big Alfonso mangoes sold on the street and welcoming shop keepers that let the uneducated Westerner to taste one of those wonderful fruits. We were invited to taste more than one rambutan, a funny cyclamen fruit from Pakistan. A delicious taste that anyone should try at least once the year.

Brits love their gardens, but they do it in a more noble way that planting carrots on the corner of the streets and showing off their wonderful work. At the Kew Gardens I saw a sample of well maintained vegetable medley. 

I like very much to visit food markets and to see what are the available local and international products. Being one hour early at a meeting, I decided to wisely use my time and pay my first visit to Harvey Nichols. 

My first visit was not disappointing as it happened recently at the Berlin's KaDeWe, as I spotted some delicious cookies that were also presented in a very elegant way. 

At the fifth floor, there are many restaurants, including sushi and Italian style. Jars of good looking spiced jams or chutneys are tempting the gourmets.

Tired of too much shopping and eating. Take a rest while sipping a good cup of champagne! I did not try the champagne, but I would have liked to enjoy a couple of minutes with a cup of coffee on my side. But I did not have too much time left. I needed to hurry up to Harrods for some last shopping.

If you are not extremely interested in shopping, or even if you hate such bourgeoises activities, a visit at Harrods is relevant for the artistic point of view. Most food halls are decorated in Jugendstil/Art Nouveau style, while the modern clothing shopping areas are designed in a very modern yet simple way. 

 If in London, you should try some good traditional English tea. Try at least one cup.

The offer of fruits was impressively rich, but the prices were at least 4 times more than what I saw in the Indian markets. True is that the quality may be different especially because the fruits are kept in cold fridges and sold without the small cloud of little flies. 

 There is also a French corner, looking colourful and offering a long menu of pastry and breads.

I bet that any fashion addict, visiting Harrods at least twice the week, know what this water is all about. As for me, I am only a visitor hence I should hurry up to the next foodie stop of my stay in London: Selfridges.

After so many boxes of foods and big colourful fruits, I was almost immune to the charms of Selfridges. I was not looking for anything special and all I wanted is to go back in Golders Green and have a long meal. Not before checking the counter of dips and mayonnaises. One day I will be back to learn more about their secret recipes.