Culinary delights at the Nelson Market

Nelson is a district that's famous for its produce. Photo / Jim Eagles

What should I pick first? Freshly made coffee? Sizzling whitebait fritters? Homemade peanut butter? Tangelo liqueur? Newly baked bread? Smoked mussels? Hot dogs bursting with homemade sausage and pickle?

The Saturday morning Nelson Market is a window for a district famous for its produce. It's also a dangerous assault on the senses for someone who breakfasted several hours earlier.

I don't know which way to turn. There's a couple of stalls selling piquant cheeses. Two more offer whitebait fritters. There are several kinds of mussels and a big queue has formed at the hot-smoked fish stall.

Fudge, fantastic-looking cakes, organic breads, liquorice, fruit and vegetables galore, homemade pickles and sauces. Lots of coffee and all of it smelling fantastic.

While I think about what to choose, Terry Knight from the Schnapp Dragon Village Distillery offers me a sip of honey whisky. It has a definite whisky flavour followed by a delicious after-taste of honey.

There are a lot of good markets around these days but Nelson's, with more than 100 stalls, is one of the best I've come across.

And, if you want to eat in a more formal setting, there are plenty of good restaurants whose chefs make good use of the readily available fine, fresh ingredients.

At Seifrieds Vineyard Restaurant, for instance, we had already ordered when chef Horst Wellmeyer burst upon us, bubbling with enthusiasm about some new dishes he had just developed using local blackcurrants.

I'm glad he was so convincing because the goat and blackcurrant salad was excellent and the dessert of blackcurrants flambéed in gin topped with yoghurt and caramelised ginger was out of this world. There was a similarly interesting mix of tastes at the Orangerie, the restaurant at the Grand Mercure Nelson Monaco.

I especially loved the prawns in chilli and smoked paprika.

Dangerous place, Nelson - if you're trying to lose weight.