Rungis: Inside the World's Largest Food Market

Rungis: Inside the World's Largest Food Market

Seven kilometres south of Paris, larger than the entire Principality of Monaco, there is a place that most visitors to the city will never see. It opens at three in the morning. It employs 13,000 people every single day. It supplies food to 18 million people across the Île-de-France. And it quietly underpins every extraordinary meal you have ever eaten in France. This is Rungis — the world's largest wholesale food market — and in this episode of Fabulously Delicious, we're going inside.

But to understand Rungis, you first have to understand what came before it. For nearly a thousand years, the beating heart of Paris's food supply was Les Halles — the sprawling, magnificent market in the centre of the city that Émile Zola called le ventre de Paris, the belly of Paris. We're telling the full story of that market, its iconic Baltard pavilions, the last extraordinary night when Parisians gathered to say goodbye with flowers and brass bands and farandoles around vegetable crates — and then the move of the century itself. Over one weekend in February 1969, 1,000 wholesale companies, 20,000 people and 5,000 tonnes of goods made the journey south in 1,500 trucks. A former general managed the logistics. US President Nixon was visiting Paris the same weekend. And according to a legend nobody has ever quite disproved — some of the rats that had called Les Halles home for generations climbed aboard the removal trucks and made the journey too.

Today Rungis is the engine room of French gastronomy. We're walking the entire site — the vast fruit and vegetable sector, the meat pavilions, the seafood hall with its nightly veterinary checks, the dairy and gastronomy sector, the organic pavilion, and the extraordinary flower market that most people never know exists. We're talking about who actually shops here, how to visit, the restaurants that serve steak frites at four in the morning, the onion soup tradition that survived the journey from Les Halles and never left, and the direct line between this market operating through the night and the quality of food on Parisian plates the following day.

My book Paris: A Fabulous Food Guide to the World’s Most Delicious City is your ultimate companion. This is a new 2026 update for the book and you’ll find hand-picked recommendations for the best boulangeries, patisseries, wine bars, cafés, and restaurants that truly capture the flavor of Paris. You can order it online at andrewpriorfabulously.com 

For those who want to take things further, why not come cook with me here in Montmorillon, in the heart of France’s Vienne region? Combine hands-on French cooking classes with exploring charming markets, tasting regional specialties, and soaking up the slow, beautiful pace of French countryside life. Find all the details at andrewpriorfabulously.com

You can help keep the show thriving by becoming a paid subscriber on substack where you'll also get fabulous extra content. Every contribution makes a huge difference. Join here at Substack , Merci beaucoup!

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Transcript

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There's a place seven kilometers south of Paris that is larger than the entire Principality of Monaco. It opens at three in the morning people every single day. And it supplies food to eighty million people across the Ile de France. And almost nobody who visit This is fabulously delicious. The French food podcast. I'm your host, Andrew Prior. Enchanté. Today we're going to Rungis. You think you know Paris? You know the restaurants, the markets, the boulangeries, the fromagerie. But there is a whole other city One that has been feeding the over a thousand years. It survived one of the most audacious moves in modern history, and the quietly underpins every extraordinary meal that you've ever eaten in France. Come with me. We're going somewhere. Most visitors never go. And I promise it's worth the Today we're talking about one of think, in the food world. A place that most visitors to It operates while the city sleeps and quietly underpins everything that makes French food culture the envy of the world. We're going back to the beginning, to a medieval market on the Ile de la Cité that grew over a thousand years into the legendary layout. The belly of Paris, before the was uprooted in one of the most in modern French history and south to the suburbs. We're talking about the move of The scale of what was built. The sectors, the chefs, the buyers, the restaurants that serve steak frites at four in the morning, and the tradition of onion soup that survived the journey from the old city and never left. And we're talking about how to visit because with a brand new metro station and the best access the market has ever had, there has never been a better time to go and see it for yourself. This is Rungis, and it's one of about, it, changes how you think To understand Rungis, you first have to understand the what came before it. For nearly a thousand years, the supply was less of a sprawling, right in the center of the city, Saint Saint Eustace Church in It started as a modest market on the orders of the city as far back as the fifth century moved to the covered pavilions in La Salle in eleven eighty one, and by the nineteenth century had become something truly extraordinary. Victor Baltard, the architect Napoleon the third, created ten brick and glass, and it became statements of Paris. And Emily Zola, who knew the place intimately, gave it the name that stuck forever Levant de Paris, the Belly of Paris, because that's exactly what it was, the place where the city fed itself every single night in a glorious, overwhelming, slightly chaotic symphony of crates and carts and noise and smells. And what a place it was. Every night, the so-called Those who wheeled carts piled oranges, and flowers. They rattled through the Transactions were settled in Beaujolais and a good plate of famous all night restaurants. The onion soup served in the market workers, chefs and the simply stayed out too late traditions of the city. It was alive in a way that very been alive, raw and commercial But by the post-war years, Paris The population of Ile de France diversifying, and ten hectares no room to expand, and simply could not keep up. The decision to move was made by Prime Minister Michel Dobry in nineteen fifty nine under de Gaulle, and it was not a popular one. The belly of Paris had an As one account put it at the And convincing buyers and to let it go was almost harder On February the twenty eighth, in nineteen sixty nine, Parisians gathered for the last night of Liao Florist through sheaths of flowers onto the streets. A brass band played outside, People danced around pyramids of vegetable crates and then it was all over. LaSalle was demolished in Despite petitions and in its forums as our shopping centre stations in Europe, which, architecture, heritage is either I want to mention something making you want to get on a that might help with that. My book, Paris A Fabulous Food Guide to the World's Most Delicious City, has just been newly updated and I'm genuinely excited about this new third edition. It's bigger than ever, with more than one hundred additional pages on the history of Food of Paris. You'll also understand not just became the gastronomic capital which, if you're a regular the kind of thing I love. Story behind the food and not Alongside all my favorite Boulangeries patisseries for Marjorie's wine bars, markets and those hidden gems, the new edition has a dedicated section for vegan and vegetarian dining, beautiful food with a view options and because well, why not? A special section on the Netflix show Emily in Paris. So yes, you can absolutely go where Emily eats. No judgment here whatsoever. It's the guide I wish I'd had when I first arrived in France, full of personal recommendations, trusted addresses, and the kind of places that make you close your eyes and think of the first bite. Yum. You can order a copy directly from my website at Andrew dot com. It makes the perfect gift for It's also on Amazon. Or you can ask your local independent bookshop to order it in. Supporting local bookshops is Right now, let's go to Rungis. The decision to move Leahl In fact, French authorities had market for nearly a century and managed to do it. The formal decision was made on September the thirtieth, in nineteen fifty three, when the French government decided to create a network of national interest markets across the country. Paris chief among them. The question then was, well, the crossroads of major road, to grow and easy access for the planes that would supply it. Several locations were considered and eliminated before the government settled on March the fourteenth. In nineteen sixty, on the municipalities of Chevilly and Rungis, seven kilometers south of Paris, close to all the major motorways with a railway connection and right next to Orly airport, six hundred hectares of agricultural land were designated. Two declarations of public February the eleventh, in pickaxe went into the ground. What followed was five years of almost hard to comprehend. Three million cubic meters of Aqueducts moved. High voltage power lines Twenty five kilometers of roads. Built thirty five hectares of car parks, laid sixty six and a half thousand meters of pipes installed, and four and a half thousand telephone lines connected. All of that before a single And then came the move itself. What was described at the time as the move of the century, and it's hard to argue with that description. Over the weekend of February the first in nineteen sixty nine, a two twenty thousand people, ten equipment and five thousand tons the center of Paris to Rungis in including four hundred removal barely adequate for the task. To manage the logistics, a former general from the small cavalry school had been recruited, which tells you everything about the scale of this operation, and the timing could hardly have been more complicated. That same weekend, US President Richard Nixon was visiting Paris. The city was bracing for wasn't even finished yet. And yet, somehow, almost Parisians stayed away from the The A6 motorway was quieter than the time the market opened its March the third, in nineteen wholesalers were in place and There were parties on the Television cameras were makeshift stages, and somewhere according to a persistent legend managed to disprove, a number of home for generations climbed made their journey to. They were never seen in Rungis Well, that remains delightfully Let's talk about scale, because it's very hard to grasp what The market covers two hundred To put that into perspective, it is slightly larger than the entire Principality of Monaco and roughly the size of a small town. With those two hundred and thirty two hectares, there are seventy two hectares of covered buildings, including forty seven hectares dedicated purely to commercial use. Every single day, thirteen thousand people come to work there. Twenty six thousand vehicles Three thousand of them heavy Nearly one point seven million the markets every year, eighteen million people across And the annual turnover is It is, by almost any measure, market in the world. And then there are the sectors. Fruits and vegetables alone across sixty six hectares. By far the largest single sector Then there's the meat sector, the seafood pavilion with its own ice tower and a nightly veterinary checks. The dairy and gastronomy section, with its seven pavilions, including a dedicated organic pavilion which opened in twenty sixteen. And there's an entire section devoted to cut flowers, potted plants and horticultural products. Every night from around three a m all of this comes alive simultaneously. Buyers moving between pavilions, docks, veterinary services meat, ten thousand samples hormones, parasites, and toxins. And then, as reliably as the sun comes up by eleven a m, the shelves are empty and the market goes quiet. The whole extraordinary machine over again tomorrow night. So let's walk the site. Because Rungus isn't just a market, it's essentially a small city organized into distinct neighborhoods, each dedicated to a different category of food and each with its own culture, its own rhythm, and its own cast of characters. The fruit and vegetable section because it's the largest eleven six hectares, with nine A specific tile for the Ile de France produces, bringing in local seasonal produce and a series of logistical warehouses behind it. This is the sector that most people picture when they think of. Rungis. Towers of crates. Forklifts moving at speed. Buyers examining produce under the harsh white light of the pavilions at four in the morning. It is busy and it is loud and it is the engine room of the whole operation. The meat sector arrived four market in January nineteen one of the most impressive parts One pavilion for butcher's meat, and game, and one for offal, and The seafood sector, known at The tide operates with its own veterinary services conducting an ice tower dedicated purely to temperatures from the moment And then there is the dairy and Seven pavilions, including two four to catering suppliers. And, since twenty sixteen, a standalone organic pavilion inaugurated by President Francois Hollande, part of an ambition to double the market's organic supply within five years. Finally, perhaps the most time visitors is an entire area decoration, with an air flowers and foliage, three plants, two greenhouses and a plants and accessories. Rungis supplies not just the restaurants and food shops of Paris, but the florists, too, which somehow makes the whole place feel even more extraordinary than it already is. There is a tradition at Rungis that I think deserves its own episode, frankly. When you have thirteen thousand the night to work through until those people they need to eat. And Rungis being French takes that responsibility extremely seriously. The market has its own restaurants, proper restaurants, not canteens. They open at the early hours and serve full meals to the buyers, wholesalers, truck drivers and workers who keep the place running. We're talking steak frites, proper food cooked properly at one of those details that feels remember that this is France. And of course, that's how it And then there is the onion soup along young in the early It goes back to the owl itself. It was the dish of the market workers, slow cooked overnight, rich with beef stock and topped with a thick crust of melted cheese, served in an all night restaurant that surrounded the old pavilions. Well, that tradition made the journey to Rungis, and it's never left. There is something genuinely five in the morning, in a largest food market, you can sit that connects you directly to a centuries in the heart of Paris. It's the kind of thing that culture isn't just about food on world that surrounds it. The timing, the setting, the And around us, all of it is Right. A quick pause before we go any If you're enjoying this and want more of this kind of thing in your life, come and find me on Substack. It's called Fabulously different format, and it's where always make it onto the podcast. Restaurant tips recipes that I'm finds, behind the scenes stories France, and honestly, just the with living and breathing this Think of it as the bonus course audio on track, a little more detailed, and very, very French. For those of you who are new And I'm so glad that you found I was a contestant on MasterChef thirteen, which completely life, and not long after I moved here for more than ten years, countryside, hosting cooking experiences, as well as spending time thinking about food, French cooking classes it all comes Genuine love, French food culture and wanting to share it with you. The people that love it the same You can subscribe to the If you'd like to support the podcast and help me keep making it, every paid subscription genuinely makes a difference and I really am grateful for every single one. You'll find the link in the show Or just simply go to Andrew Pryor fabulously dot com for more details. Why not come for the croissants but stay because you're fabulous. So who actually shops at Rungis? The short answer is pretty much not you, at least not without some planning. Rungis is a wholesale market, which means it is strictly reserved for accredited professionals. Dubai. Here you need a buyer's card, registered professional or food shop, a catering You cannot simply just turn up and a sense of adventure and The market exists to supply the trade, and it takes that purpose seriously. On any given night, the buyers moving through the pavilions are restaurant chefs, including some of the most accredited and celebrated in Paris fishmongers, butchers, greengrocers, caterers, hotel bars and supermarket wholesalers. They are all doing business in way that people do when they are serious quantities of food at But that said, Rungus is not The market runs official guided have any interest in food at of your list. When you're next in Paris, about walking through those night, watching the whole The crates, the produce and negotiating, the the loading docks, the workers taking a break. It is Paris at its most real and well, no restaurant or food shop The market's quality standards Ten thousand samples are Nightly veterinarian checks on Strict controls on everything toxins in fish. That rigor filters directly into the quality of what ends up on Parisian plates. Rungis doesn't just supply French gastronomy in a very real sense. It underwrites it, and the The presence of the world's professionals in just one place importers creates a market that demands of serious cooking. When a new ingredient becomes fashionable in Parisian kitchens, Rungis finds a way to supply it. When a producer in Brittany oysters, or a farmer in Provence the season, rungis is the ingredients to the people who things with them. It is in the most literal sense, the engine room of French cuisine. If you'd like a little more fabulously delicious between episodes, come and join me on Instagram. I'm at Andrew Prior, fabulously. That's where I share bite sized French food history, fun facts, behind the scenes moments, and plenty of everyday life in France. It's the perfect little snack And if you prefer to watch the can find the full video episodes Same stories, same deliciousness More food, more stories. More fabulous. Come join the party. It's Trey scrollable. Apparently that's something Voila! That's the end of today's the French food podcast. If this episode made you hungry, happy, or suddenly googling line fourteen timetable at three in the morning. Perfect. If you enjoyed it, leave a food lover and come say bonjour. I always love hearing from you. And if you liked this episode, there's plenty more waiting for you. Just search fabulously delicious listening to right now. Until next time, eat well, stay it fabulously reciprocal. Bon app a bientot.