Wet Markets such as Fa Yuen Street Fish Market have a reputation for selling some of the freshest produce. I looked inside to see what this local business is all about.
Walking around Hong Kong and most of Asia, you will encounter on multiple occasions the open aired fish market. But many don’t know the reasoning behind why there are so many to begin with. The pronunciation of fish in Chinese is “yu,” which is phonetically similar to the word for affluence and abundance. It’s because of this phonetical similarity that fish has become a symbol of abundance and prosperity in Chinese culture. Walking into a local fish market is an important part of immersing yourself and understanding Chinese culture.
The smell is pungent, the floor is wet, and the stalls are raw, but they offer a perspective into every day Chinese culture. As you walk through each stall, you’ll see locals picking out fresh fish, still alive and moving in their water tanks. The fishermen prepare the fish for you right then and there to take home. It reminded me a bit of Morocco! It may be a bit too visual and raw for some people, but it’s important to get a glimpse of everyday local habits in this authentic area.
In America, we are so distant from our food. We never truly witness the preparation of our food, whether that’s because we’d rather not see what it is that we are consuming to avoid feeling any sense guilt or because we just don’t have the space or health regulations in place to do so. But in Hong Kong, witnessing food preparation is of utmost importance and a true testament of the freshness of the food for locals.
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