(HuffingtonPost) - Andrew Zimmern names his favorite food markets around the world: "Through all of my travels, I've found that there's no better way to feel the pulse of a city or to understand the local culture than to visit a market. I can learn more about a people and their way of life here than I can in the local museum, that's for sure. Locavore bazaars -- where merchant's hawk the region's specialties, artisans sell their wares and residents shop for dinner -- offer the most authentic and honest experience."

Palermo, Sicily: Mercato di Ballarò

This bona fide neighborhood market is known for the fresh fish, but I’ve got a thing for the meat, specifically, the fritole—fried cow offal (mostly tripe) cut into bite-size pieces. Though an acquired taste, when heaped on a roll and sprinkled with lemon juice and salt, the chewy morsels are magnificent. Although you’ll see plenty of tourists among the sea of umbrella-covered stalls, locals flock to the market for tripe and intestine soup, panelle (pancakes made of fried chickpeas) with eggplant and spleen-stuffed panini. This is market-strolling fare of the highest order.