Hello and welcome to Food Neighbourhoods on Monocle Radio.
I'm Monica Lillis and once again we visit the places locals love for their food and drink.
This week,
we're heading to Madrid to wander through one of the Spanish capital's most delectable open secrets.
Hidden in plain sight of the city centre,
the Mostnsis municipal market has been overlooked by local authorities for years.
But this has created a ripe opportunity for diaspora communities from Asia
and Latin America to eagerly snap up one's ailing stalls.
Mixing entrepreneurial flair with a melting pot of exotic ingredients,
the market is now a sizzling array of mini eateries,
featuring flavours from Peru, Ecuador and China.
Our man in Madrid, Liam Aldous, introduces us to the gastronomic fusion known as chifa,
a heady mix that has turned the surrounding area into Europe's first, albeit unofficial, chifa town.
It's not just the tasty air that grabs you when walking into Madrid's Mostenses market.
It's the sounds, too.
Straight off the bat, the sonic salsa rich allure of Latin American song tickles my eardrums.
But then I turn the corner and hear one store holder blaring a Chinese opera from his mini speaker.
It's a true beast for the ears.
If the soundtrack seems a little jumbled,
this market's cultural symphony finds its harmony in the food.