By Maggie Sullivan

There’s one important caveat when it comes to the world’s many bustling marketplaces: Get there early. That’s when the food is its freshest and the activity is at its liveliest. And when you’re talking about these 10 favorites, you’re talking fresh and lively, indeed.

1. Otavalo, Ecuador.
Aside from the Galápagos, market day in Otavelo is the only absolute must on any traveler’s Ecuadorian itinerary. Every Saturday, the entire town transforms itself into a huge open-air extravaganza. Not only can you find produce and livestock--still squealing, clucking, and mooing--but handicrafts, textiles, and just about anything else brought in from the far corners of the nation by its colorfully dressed rural populace.

2. Itsarnuphap Bazaar, Bangkok, Thailand.
There’s certainly no shortage of the exotic at Chinatown’s Itsarnuphap Bazaar. One item, which appears to be Styrofoam packing material, is Bangkok’s most popular cracker, made from dried, cured, and refined fish stomachs. Ten bags (11 pounds a piece) can be purchased at the "street price" of 800 baht (US$20) per. Other delicacies include salted pork snouts or the saliva from young swallows distilled into soup. Then there’s the ever-controversial durian, a fruit whose devotees praise its intoxicating flavor and whose detractors point at its pungent aroma (akin to running shoes right after a marathon).

3. Djemaa el-Fna, Marrakech, Morocco.
Within this huge souk beats the heart of Marrakech. By day it’s filled with sights and sounds to delight and nearly overwhelm: Curio peddlers compete with jugglers; tapestry weavers with snake charmers. By night the scene changes to gas-lit food stalls that fill the air with exotic scents to whet your appetite and unique tastes to fill your mouth--all for mere pennies. Just about any time of year is good for this night market, but try catching it during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, when Muslims abstain from eating from dawn until dusk. Once night falls, the joint really rocks.

4. Olvera Street, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
You know you’re still in L.A. because you can see three different freeways with cars standing still. But the piping-hot taquito in your hand, the carne asada on the grill, and the Mariachi band at the corner all scream Mexico, with the x pronounced like an h. This block-long market is perhaps the best place in world, including south of the border, to get the complete palette of Mexican flavors onto your palate. Don’t believe us? Just ask the guy with the steam coming out of his ears.

5. Food and Antique Market, Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, France.
Charming is the only way to describe it. Complete with working waterwheels, the tranquil green waters of the Sorgue divide into five branches to create the islands of this compact medieval town. Market day (Sunday) is a colorful and famous affair. Once you have had your fill of olives, wine, nutty breads, and remarkably fresh fish, stop by the antiquaries to see if you can discover that aged treasure of your dreams. Then finish the day in the shade of one of the plane trees that line the village’s many canals.

6. Mercat La Boqueria, Barcelona, Spain.
The finest open-air market in a nation of great ones, food has been sold at this spot continuously since the Middle Ages. Area chefs come here to choose from more than 50 varieties of fresh fish pulled daily from the Mediterranean. Phenomenal seafood aside, this is also the place to buy all your vegetables, fruits, meat, poultry, wine, bread, spices, and anything else your stomach may desire. The best part? That night at Restaurante Muy Costoso, the self same tomato you squeezed may well have found its way into your gazpacho.

7. Kensington Market, Toronto, Canada.
The best produce and meats to be had in this bustling metropolis can be found within this labyrinth of cramped little back streets. But for Toronto, Kensington is much more than a place for to buy fruit and veggies. It’s a multicultural center with more than 30 ethnicities represented, including Portuguese, East Indian, Ethiopian, and Afro-Caribbean. With such a broad array of cuisines at your disposal, we encourage you to, um, travel the world, even if it means loosening your belt a notch or two.

8. Mbare Musika Market, Harare, Zimbabwe.
This is a classic among African markets. Open most days, its proximity to the main bus station makes it incredibly convenient to stop in, stock up, and then head out to explore the wilds of Zim. True to its decidedly African setting, you’ll find just about everything sold by just about everyone. Herbs (for both medicinal and culinary use), produce, and meats are displayed cheek-by-jowl--sometimes literally--with bike tires, pots, and shoes.

9. Mercado Ver-o-Peso, Belem, Brazil.
Sitting at the mouth of the Amazon, Ver-o-Peso (which translates "check the weight") is the market for all things Amazon. Fishing boats and dugout canoes bring tropical fruits and vegetables as well as every shape and size of fish. But aside from these necessities, you’ll also find charms and herbs used in African-Brazilian umbanda rituals.

10. Spice Market, Istanbul, Turkey.
Back when spices from India and Southeast Asia arrived in the Middle East via Egypt and were the sole product available at this market, it was known as the Egyptian Bazaar. Now you can get everything from electric can-openers to over-priced jewelry, though there are still a few dozen stalls devoted exclusively to marvelously fragrant spices of every imaginable (and some unimaginable) variety. Wander through using your nose as your guide, but be sure to ask before you buy: What might look like harmless parsley, sage, rosemary, or thyme could turn out to be a pretty potent aphrodisiac.

Maggie Sullivan is an assistant editor at iExplore.