Hong Kong – A walk in the Wet Market

Posted on by Parul Thakur

As many of you already know, I am not on a vacation in Hong Kong. Yes, I am visiting a new city and experiencing a different culture but this is very different from a real vacation. VT and I, both are working during the day and then post work we take a walk to explore the city. I get a little more additional time to walk in the mornings after VT leaves for work. The time difference makes it easier for me to sneak out a little additional time to explore new things. Weekends will be when we will get to do the touristy things.

Yesterday, was one such day. VT had left for the day and I was on the streets say around 9:30 AM Hong Kong time. The city had woken up to a working day and many were rushing to work. Shops were still being set up and people were catching up on the morning news.

Catching up on the news
What’s in the newspaper today?

The stores were being dusted and mopped to begin the day’s business. I also witnessed a touch of faith when a store owner prayed and lit a few incense sticks. This was caught on the camera and we exchanged smiles. Yes, it is a curve that sets things straight.

Let's pray
Let’s pray for a good day!

Somewhere around this place, I took a detour into one of the by-lanes. The thing about Hong Kong is you get to see a vast difference between the main road and the perpendicular lanes that connect two parallel roads. While on the main road you will see fancy cars, high-end stores, well dressed office goers, buses and trams, these lanes are exactly the opposite. There is very little space to walk, you see the locals on their daily errands with simple dressing and bags to carry stuff, vendors who pull their carts up the steep slope and women who shop for their daily grocery.

On this road, I walked through what is known as a wet market. A wet market is traditionally a market for selling meat and fresh produce. These markets give a real taste of Hong Kong and depicts what all goes into a Hong Konger’s kitchen that churns out some tasty food. Locals frequent these places to get the best bargains on food items and the stuff is visibly very fresh. Be it rice, dry fruits, dried mushrooms, vegetables, dried pickles, and any sort of meat – it’s all available in the wet market.

The Graham Street - market starts here
The Graham Street – market starts here
2015-10-16 09.45.02
Fresh Fruits
vegetables
Vegetables
Cabbage, Drum Sticks, Celery and what not!
Cabbage, Drum Sticks, Celery and what not!

I could not identify some vegetables. Lettuce, Cabbage, Coriander, huge pieces of ginger was still easy, many others – well, can’t say! A couple of steps later, began the meat section. The stink, the fishes in water, the shell-fish, lobsters, prawns and a wide array of all sorts of sea-food. The place was buzzing with conversations and transactions.

All sorts of meat
All sorts of meat

This guy chopped and parceled meat with the speed of light and in spite of being meat eater, I could not guess what type it was. I better not describe what I found out but know that everything under the Sun that’s edible is here.

A fish galore
A fish galore
Identify for your self!
Identify for your self!

I summed my walk with a video down the road for memory sake and I am determined to go back again. This time to find out the things I don’t know. To may be buy some almonds or fish pickles. This is the real Hong Kong. It’s not in the flash of lights or the sky scrapers, it’s not in the offices that let so many people in every day in smart attires, it is not in those BMWs and Porches. The heart of Hong Kong is here, right in these wet markets.

Have you ever seen a wet market? Do share your experience with me.

Keep visiting for more stories from Hong Kong, and the usual dose of happiness and food for thought!

 

28 thoughts on “Hong Kong – A walk in the Wet Market”

    1. That I am note sure – May be check in the super markets and then buy? 🙂 Octopus, eel, crabs and almost everything is here.

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  3. There’s nothing like discovering a city waking up in a wet market. I often go to our Municipal markets and enjoy watching the vegetables and fruit getting off loaded. Thanks for sharing these lovely pics. Enjoy your non holiday in Hong Kong.

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    1. Thank you so much! I do not do that in India. One it’s far off to go and then two, it gets too messy with cows, stench and all. This was pretty organized and clean. I sound biased but can’t help. 😦

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  5. Having never left the North American continent, I have never heard of the expression “wet market”. Thank you for the virtual market tour. I loved seeing those vegetables – what displays!

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    1. I am glad this was a new thing for you. Always good to know something that we not have heard of. Right? Thank you so much!

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  6. i love the street markets more than anything else. It’s the soul of a city, I feel. Hong Kong is a country worth visiting and the FT stall is awesome..reminds me of India. There is a HK lane in Pune selling quite interesting stuffs. Enjoy the moments. Though, I wasn’t aware of the wet market.

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    1. Twenty Years ago, may be Hong Kong was quieter. 🙂 But yes there is so much hustle bustle around. It’s a nice world around. Thank you for stopping by!

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  14. Ah ha! So that’s what is a wet market. 🙂

    Thank you for the link, Parul. Yeah, I came in thro’ Twitter. Thank you for the pictures and thank you for taking us around.
    Have fun, you two. 🙂

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