Stop 'n' Shop at Specialty Food Markets

Borough Market, London

Inside this fine-food emporium near London Bridge, you'll find high-quality produce, specialty meats from rare breeds, superb wines, handmade chocolates and much more. One highlight is the Melton Mowbray Pork Pie, a Leicestershire delicacy that earned protected designation of origin from the European Union. Oysters from the Helford River, inside the Duchy of Cornwall, also draw crowds, as does ostrich meat from a farm in North Nottinghamshire. Although Borough is not strictly a farmer's market (a place where small farmers sell their crops directly to the public) many fruits and vegetables are grown locally and organically.

In any case, vendors will tell you exactly where their products came from and how they were made or grown. Borough Market takes nutrition seriously -- it recently instituted a food school to promote healthful eating, and teach children and adults how to choose, buy and prepare food. Open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 8 Southwark Street, London, SE1 1TL; +44-207/407-1002

Campo de' Fiori, Rome

Every morning, Campo de' Fiori square turns into a colorful street market that can transport you back to 1869, when farmers and fishermen began peddling their fruits, vegetables and catches there. This storied piazza hasn't changed much since then -- it's still where Romans find fresh ingredients for the day's meal -- except for the presence of photo-snapping tourists.

When vendors leave in the late afternoon, the bronze statue of Giordano Bruno comes into focus. Accused of heresy, this 16th century philosopher was burned alive in the center of the square, as were many other dissidents and undesirables. Good thing the Italians eventually found a better use for the space, now bustling with ripe tomatoes, zucchinis, mixed spices, handmade breads and freshly cut fiori. Open daily; Piazza Campo de' Fiori, near Piazza Navona.