Tour and taste Pike Place Market with Savor Seattle

What I don't know about Pike Place Market is a lot.

Ditto for eggplant, organic honey and life in general. While I'll never fully understand the last of these, the Savor Seattle tour of Pike Place Market's shops and restaurants has helped with everything else.

Founded by local gourmet Angela Shen, Savor Seattle claims to offer "guided walking tours of Seattle's tastiest neighborhoods," but what it really offers is consciousness expansion. I have walked through the Market hundreds of times and never noticed the murals above the heavily trafficked main entrance.

Nor have I ever smelled the delicious cinnamon-orange tea of Market Spice, shouted a greeting at the fish throwers of Pike Place Fish (and had it acknowledged), or tasted the chocolate-coated goods at Chukar Cherries. In just one afternoon, the Savor Seattle tour changed the way I experience the Market and subtly influenced the way I experience food and drink, as well.

It may seem like a tall order, but Shen and her crew deliver the goods. The Pike Place Market tour -- walking tours of the International District and Belltown are coming soon -- packs a lot of tidbits, both edible and educational, into two whirlwind hours. For $39, you get the equivalent of a light lunch with a glass of wine, and more information than you could process in a month.

I don't want to give away too many details; after all, this is a tour made up almost entirely of pleasant surprises. However, I can tell you that it begins with a bag of piping-hot donut holes from Daily Dozen, the sweet, fatty perfection of which is beyond debate. (One of Shen's favorite mottos: "A little fat? Nothing wrong with that.") You'll learn the difference between the Market's permanent and first-come, first-served produce stands, and you'll get an education in how the Market has worked for the past 100 years. You will be told how to shop for eggplant, organic honey and fresh fish.

Most importantly, you'll taste things that will send your palate into ecstatic paroxysms of raw, naked craving. The ticket price includes a 10 percent discount good for one week at all the shops and restaurants you visit in the course of the tour, which you'll be compelled to use almost immediately after the tour ends. You'll also be given a fistful of napkins (very handy), a bottle of water and some recipes that draw heavily on Market ingredients.

The tour runs daily from 10 a.m. to noon, though you'll want to arrive at the Market at least 15 minutes early -- to get your donut holes, if for no other reason. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets, and you'll want to get them well in advance, as these tours often sell out.

Be sure to wear comfortable walking shoes and to eat a light breakfast before you go: While you do consume a fair amount of food in the course of your Market tour, it's served up a little at a time. Most importantly, don't go expecting to learn a bunch of things you already knew. Even if you've visited the Market hundreds of times, you'll be amazed by the way the Savor Seattle tour subtly changes its flavor for the better.