Buying in a traditional market means buying seasonal and locally produced products. These are also known as zero-kilometre products since they are consumed where they are produced. This way of buying and consumption has a high positive impact on our health because seasonality implies variety in our diet, preference for locally produced food, and lower consumption levels of processed food.

In order to value and preserve typical, high-quality, and traditionally produced food, mostly by hand, protected designations of origin (PGO) and protected geographical indications (PGI) are applied in all Mediterranean countries, including not only elementary products, but also its preparations and elaborations.

Traditional food is also known as slow food and real food: it is food prepared according to traditional recipes using typical local and seasonal products, which preserves the local gastronomy as a cultural expression and as a distinct and essential value of identify of each place or region.

Slow food and real food are social movements that have emerged in the last decade for encouraging and educating people in healthier and more sustainable ways of eating. They advocate for wholesome, local, seasonal food, consumed slowly, frugally and with minimal processing. These movements try to reposition the act of eating as an occasion in life that deserves attention, care and to which adequate importance must be given.