My idea of a nice exploration of a country is their supermarkets ( groceries section pls) and their wet markets. Like you said there's always food nearby to satisfy hunger pangs. Personally I felt that one can learn so much about country/state's culture just from the local market.

Fully agreed to this! I also like to shop for snacks that can only be found at the country I visit. And as for night markets, I like those in Bangkok and Taipei the most.