Cai Rang among the world's most impressive markets

Kashgar's Sunday market has been taking place for centuries, famous for its size and variety of goods on offer. To this day, merchants arrive by donkey, ox and cart, giving this Silk Road bazaar a special, timeless quality. Pick up exquisite spices, nuts and fruits and be sure to stay for lunch – the lamb kebabs are incredible.

A great stop on a walking tour around picturesque Munich, the Viktualienmarkt takes place near Marienplatz. Bavarian specialities are the order of the day here; don't miss out on a warm pretzel, or a weißwurst with sweet mustard, all washed down with a large glass of beer in the adjoining beer garden – just like the locals.

You're in St Lucia, so expect incredible tropical fruits – mangoes, bananas, avocados, breadfruit and yellow apples, to name but a few – along with pungent spices and potent rum-based drinks. It's a vibrant and busy place with stall owners haggling hard with locals and tourists alike.

Aged 130 years, Queen Victoria Market is a beloved spot for Melburnians, who come to pick up anything from juicy prawns and grapes to organic chicken legs and huge avocados. Sunday is the most relaxed, family-friendly day and if you're planning on shopping, don't forget your recyclable bags – no plastic carriers allowed.

A celebration of the mighty Italian cuisine here in Modena's lovely market hall, open daily. The city is particularly famous for its balsamic vinegars, and you're sure to find an array of flavours on display here, along with sweet figs and peaches, olive oils, wines and wonderful puddings and cheeses.

Open four days a week (8am–6pm), Union Square Greenmarket is a bundle of cute stalls that bring a taste of the countryside to the Big Apple. Farmers, bakers, grocers and fisherman sell their respective wares to chatty locals and tourists, who take serious pleasure in discussing the origin of their dinners.

All-Canadian treats like peach pies, blueberry jams and peameal bacon sarnies bring the crowds to this wonderful farmers' market on Saturdays (5am–5pm). Many merchants have sold their goods here over numerous generations, so you're investing in heritage as well as quality when you take home that slice of strawberry tart or bag of freshly shucked oysters.

The best way to start the day in Hong Kong is with brunch in Kowloon City Wet Market. Red bean coffee and satay beef slices with toast could be on the menu, while the more adventurous might try steamed hairy crabs on perilla leaves. Fancy a lie-in? Late afternoon is also a good time to hit up this bustling wet market, with market traders slashing prices of meats and fish – that's dinner sorted, then.

Just off Las Ramblas, Barcelona's La Boqueria is surrounded by little tapas bars, where you can feast on tasty bites and throw back glasses of vino blanco. You'll have a lively backdrop, too, as shoppers pick over piles of juicy fruit and crusty bread, drawing back, horrified, at the sight of skinned sheep and cows' eyeballs in the meat section.

Cheerful striped awnings line the length of chic Cours Saleya, Nice's main shopping street, a quick walk from the sea. Along with flowers and lavender-scented soap, you'll find a gorgeous spread of the very best produce from southern France, including croissants, spicy sausages, salty seafood and earthy mushrooms.

A strong stomach is a necessary attribute when visiting this pungent market in Tokyo, loaded with all sorts of marine beasties. If you can get in (tourist numbers are restricted or often banned altogether – check this before turning up), the live tuna auctions are worth witnessing. If not, one thing not to miss is a sushi breakfast – you're in the right place, after all.

The farmers' market to end all farmers' markets. Open three days a week in bustling San Francisco – Saturday is the best and busiest day – all produce is locally produced and organic, with great emphasis placed on sustainable agriculture and artisan recipes. The crowds queue up for fresh peaches, incredible jams, homemade chocolates and beautiful breads.

A warren of 60 streets and over 5000 shops selling leather, jewellery, lamps, rugs and slippers, as well as exquisite culinary treats. Don't miss the sweetie stalls selling sticky Turkish delight flavoured with rosewater, lemon and pistachio, spice shops piled high with yellow saffron, cinnamon sticks and fragrant mint, and you're bound to find that archetypal Turkish snack, the kebab.

It may heave with tourists (go early if you want to avoid the crush), but London's Borough's market is popular for a reason. Housed beneath an attractive green building with open sides, the market is a who's who of the best organic local suppliers and traders. Seasonal fruit and vegetables are sold alongside sweet pastries and strong coffee, while huge pots of steaming paella, hot pies and gallons of refreshing punch attract the lunchtime rush.

This place is most definitely for seafood lovers. Chile's long coastline yields incredible numbers of delicious fish and shellfish, and most species are on sale here in Santiago's main indoor market. Slippery conger eels, silver sea bass, spikey sea urchins, iridescent abalone…the list of fishy treats is endless.

Squeamish buyers look away now. Singapore's Kreta Ayer Wet Market in Chinatown doesn't just do inanimate produce…expect live eels, frogs and snakes among the melons and roasted pork. Upstairs, above the main stall area, is a hawker centre, where diners settle down over local delicacies – including those (now dead) frogs and snakes.

A venerable indoor market dating from 1788, Cork's English Market is undoubtedly a tough cookie, witnessing – and surviving – famines, revolution, wars, fire and more recently economic decline. On offer today are delicious tangy Irish cheeses like Crozier Blue and Ardrahan, top-quality Irish meats, and the finest Irish salmon and shellfish.

Helsinki's cobbled square on the waterside hosts a bustling market, with wooden stalls heaving with local fish specialties like smoked salmon and pickled herring, fresh fruits including sweet blueberries and cloudberries, and the obligatory Finnish meat, reindeer. Just watch out for the seagulls, who keep a beady and somewhat menacing eye on tasty snacks clasped in your hands.