Culturally, people in my region like to buy live fish. You will also see that in many Asian countries. Back in the day, everyone had a pond in their backyard. To serve guests and family, they never had to go to the market; the pond was enough.
The same goes for sources of meat. The countryside people still maintain the livestock culture and don't have to depend on others. Our markets also provide live livestock so we can choose and buy.
That's the reason our wet market looks like a place to buy live fish! Let me show you around.
This is what the market usually looks like, where aisles of fish shops can be found. The sellers would offer a price and you have to negotiate. You can find all the local fish here, you name it you'll get it in any big local fish market.
I usually don't visit the fish market often, once every few months; that's my husband's duty to visit the wet market. But I do (usually to buy for the guests), I like to go around, buy some local fish, and ask the seller to cut the fish according to my choice.
Most of the market doesn't charge more to cut the fish. That's the best thing. Also, you can see what you are buying, the fishes are usually alive or died only a few minutes ago. So they are very fresh and you can choose the best one.
Moreover, some live fish tanks would also catch your eye from where you can buy too. Usually fish from the tanks costs a little more. But they are still affordable.
Buying fish and meat from Supershops has only been popular in the last 10-15 years. Even super shops usually provide live fish options to compete in the market. Still, these wet markets are popular because they provide the best quality and the price is reasonable.
Was it a fun experience? No. I don't like to deal with the crowd, the negotiation, the wait while they prepare the fish, and on top of everything the wet floor. But guess what, this type of wet market is the right place to find to best quality fish on a budget.
People say, it takes skills to buy fish and I agree. Because the sellers use warm lights as you can see customers can't see properly if the fish has any spotting or any discoloring. You have to know the market price, have to negotiate, and know what you are buying to the sellers doesn't make you a fool, and then you can buy the best one.
I can't tell you, how many times I got fooled and bought slightly rotten fish and this story is the same for everyone. It takes years of skill. If you don't like this way, we have super shops.
But now, as I have become a pro I don't mind visiting our wet market once in a while. I would like to know - Do you have a similar marketplace? Where do you buy fish and meat from?
