# Shopping at Málaga's central market

**Language:** Spanish  
**CEFR Level:** A2  

> Join Sofía and Alejandro for a shopping trip to Málaga's bustling central market, one short conversation at a time. Each lesson trains your ear until you can follow every word and answer back.

**Setting:** Inside the bustling, sunlit Mercado de Atarazanas in Málaga, Sofía and Alejandro meet by the vibrant seafood stalls under the historic stained-glass window. As northern food producers visiting the south, they decide to navigate the crowded aisles together to compare local Andalusian ingredients with their own regional specialties.

## Lessons

### 1. Comparing regional food preferences

Sofía shows Alejandro some fresh anchovies, prompting a conversation about the different food habits in their respective home regions.

### 2. Asking where to find ingredients

Alejandro looks for ingredients to pair with his Cabrales cheese, and Sofía directs him to the dried fruit stall nearby.

### 3. Asking for prices of food

Sofía tries to ask the vendor for the price of the anchovies while Alejandro gets distracted by some delicious-looking figs nearby.

### 4. Describing flavors and food combinations

Sofía tastes the sweet figs, and Alejandro suggests some unusual but popular local food combinations, like pairing fruit with seafood.

### 5. Discussing weekend shopping habits

Sofía decides to buy a small portion to try at home while Alejandro heads to a popular stall for toasted almonds, noting how busy the market gets on Saturday mornings.

### 6. Describing a hometown market

Sofía compares the market to the smaller one in her hometown, explaining how she harvests and sells goose barnacles, while Alejandro asks about the dangers of her job.

### 7. Talking about duration of activities

Sofía and Alejandro discuss how long they have been in their respective professions, sharing their years of experience harvesting seafood and making cheese.

### 8. Ordering seafood at a stall

Sofía gets called to be served and prepares to order anchovies, while Alejandro asks her to check if they also have fresh anchovies in vinegar to take back north.

### 9. Buying food by weight

Sofía and Alejandro ask about the prices of anchovies and almonds, deciding to buy half a kilo of each to complete their shopping.

### 10. Reviewing a shopping list

Sofía and Alejandro double-check what they have bought so far and discuss the cheese that Alejandro is bringing from home.

### 11. Planning a shared meal

Sofía suggests having dinner together, and she and Alejandro coordinate who will bring which ingredients before making plans to meet up later.

### 12. Expressing surprise and amazement

Alejandro is amazed by the size of a giant tuna at the market, prompting Sofía to explain how Mediterranean fish differ from Atlantic ones.

### 13. Suggesting it is time to leave

Sofía suggests leaving the busy market because it is getting late, and Alejandro agrees to continue their conversation over dinner.

### 14. Thanking someone for food

Sofía and Alejandro thank each other for the almonds and anchovies they bought as they look forward to a great dinner together.