The Local Wet Market

While living in Malaysia, I became very familiar with the term, wet market.  A wet market, for those of you who aren’t familiar, is a fresh food market usually outdoors found primarily in Asian countries.  The name “wet market” comes from the large amount of water used in these markets…whether to keep the fruits and vegetables fresh, keep the fresh fish alive or to wash the floors and buckets within the market.  While living in KL, I didn’t venture to many of the wet markets.  Quite honestly, I steered clear from them, and headed to our local grocery store for my weekly grocery needs.  While the wet markets were popular in Malaysia, they seem to be even more popular here in Hong Kong.  In fact it’s just a daily way of life!

Recently, we decided to venture into our local wet market here in Wan Chai and I quickly found myself covering my mouth and cringing a bit at the sights in front of me.  All the while I watched as helpers shopped for their employer’s dinner, parents called out prices to the vendors and children ran up and down the aisles laughing with one another, just as if it was a normal day at your neighborhood Harris Teeter.  It was a bit strange to me, but then again, this is just daily life here in Hong Kong.

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Yummy…eels!

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And what about a boxed turtle or a frog for dinner?  Can you see them in the cages next to the pile of fish guts?!  Poor turtles and froggies…I really wanted to free them.

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And the cycle starts again…cleaning the buckets and getting ready for the next day in the wet market.

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10 Responses to The Local Wet Market

  1. Tobi Sanders says:

    So you finally went. I loved the wet markets in KL.

    Tobi

  2. Isa says:

    I grew up around places like this in New York and Bangkok and weirdly I kind of miss them! There aren’t really any around here!

    http://lasaloperie.blogspot.com

  3. Jules says:

    Watch out vegetarians, that’s not for the faint of heart!! lol Had never heard of the term wet market before. Very cool; learn something new every day. :)

    xoxo,

    Jules of Canines & Couture
    http://www.caninesandcouture.com

  4. Diva In Me says:

    I can totally relate to the “wet market” you are talking about. I’ve been there countless of times when I was a kid and with my mom. She buy and I got to help carry all those wet stuff. Though they are definitely as fresh as you can get.
    Now, my personal chef aka bf, who does all the cooking definitely steer away from all these wet market. He would rather enjoy his grocery shopping in the mall with AC. I’m just happy I don’t have to carry the “wet stuff” anymore =D

  5. Jess says:

    So weird! But good for you for checking it out.

  6. Denise says:

    The pictures are amazing and thanks for saying what a wet market is, I had no idea, and I love to learn new things! I just read what happened to you, I hope you are Ok now – gee, a shot on the nostril must be awful… but as I said, I hope you are OK now!

  7. BarbM. says:

    The fruits and vegetables look fresh and appetizing! The fish, frogs, frogs, turtles and pigs…not so much! Thanks for sharing; it’s always good to see how other people live!

  8. Genevieve says:

    Omigosh, I could have done-away-with not seeing the pigs feet and guts hanging upside down, haha.

  9. gailiotas says:

    Now I know why you are skinny, Ha!