Unique Experiences and Treats on Tuesdays at Eastern Market

Experience classes and enjoy treats you can only find at Tuesday Market

The summer months allow you to experience something unique to Detroit, at an historic part of the city that has been bringing people together for decades. Tuesday Markets at Eastern Market have become a summer tradition and while it includes much of what you will find on Saturday markets, there are special events happening only Tuesdays as well.

One of those events are cooking classes for kids. Live in the D’s Kila Peeples visited Shed 5 Tuesday morning where a class was underway. Summer cooking classes at the community kitchen shed 5 happens every Tuesday from 9am to 11am. Anika Kafi Summers, the head of Nutrition Education at Eastern Market says the classes are very important because they give kids a chance to expand their horizons.

The Tuesday cooking class is for kids age 8 to 15. This summer young chefs are learning dishes from around the world. Summers says learning to cook foods from different countries allows kids to experience those cultures, try different flavors, and expand their taste buds.

One young chef told us that she likes the class because it gives her the chance to learn how to make foods, like hamburgers, from scratch.  Her sister, also in the class, agreed, adding she likes how the class lets her experience food on her own. The sisters are considering becoming chefs when they are older and are excited about the new skills they will learn this summer like baking.

Summers says the classes aren’t just offered for kids on Tuesday. There are also classes for adults and children on Saturday as well, with some classes pairing adults and children together. All of the ingredients the kids use during class come from vendors who sell at the market.

Besides cooking classes, you can find unique treats at the Tuesday market that you don’t normally find at the traditional Saturday one. For example you can try Carmel Yum Yums, a gourmet caramelized corn puff. They are gluten free, nut free and come in various flavors.  The Company is owned by Tonya Burton, a single mom, who started it in her kitchen. Burton says she’s been making Yum Yums for years as Christmas gifts, and built up a regular clientele who would ask for repeats every year. At the time she was working as a hair stylist. When her salon closed in 2014, she decided to expand her food business.

The move paid off. One year after expanding, she won the 2015 Spark award for Genesee County, which honors innovative ideas. Three years later she won the 2018 Boom Award for the state of Michigan. That award honors entrepreneurs with disabilities. Burton suffers from neurological disorders.

Carmel Yum Yums come in four flavors: Original, French toast, strawberry and a Flavor of the Month . This month’s flavor is Smokehouse BBQ in honor of Fourth of July. Burton says French Toast and Original Caramel are her most popular flavors. She says clients eat them as cereal or use them as ice cream toppings.

Burton says she loves selling at Tuesday Market because of the cultural diversity the market brings. Besides Carmel Yum Yums, you can find other unique items at Tuesday Market like jewelry and other specialty foods like pierogis.

The Tuesday market is running now through September from 9:00am to 3:00pm.