for food are, obviously, worldwide phenomena and generally very pleasant ones. According to climate, they may be covered, open, or shaded. They may function daily or just once a week; be primarily for wholesale or for retail activity; serve a small locality or a wider area; be exclusively for food, or even for one category of food, or be mixed up with other things. They usually offer food at lower prices than prevail in shops, since the overheads are small. A good recent survey, intercontinental in scope, is that of Mimi Sheraton and Nelli Sheffer (1997). See also farmers' markets.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Sheraton, Mimi, and Sheffer, Nelli (1997), Food Markets of the World, New York: Harry N. Abrams.
