considerably, but most market people
have enough English to converse with
you. It is worth taking the time to talk to
stall owners, both to find out where they
source their produce and also to build a
relationship with them. Many stallholders
are influenced by their customers’ food
habits and trends, and will happily try to
help source what you need.
Now, here’s a bit of guidance to help
you navigate your adventure.
Greengrocers
This is where you will find a wider and
fresher selection of vegetables and fruits
on offer. Often, fruit and vegetables are
sold together, though some stalls are will
sell only one or the other. Fruit stalls will
often do fresh juices and fruit salad boxes
to take away. Expect to see more exotic
offerings, like rambutan, jackfruit, lotus
root, lily bulbs and burdock, as well as
more common ones such as choi sum,
kale and bak choi. Fresh tofu and herbs
are also on offer. If you are buying root
vegetables, many grocers will peel them
for you. Find a greengrocer that you like
and build a good relationship with them.
You might find they will throw in extras like
fresh herbs and ginger at no extra cost.
Many stallholders have established
relationships with local farms and,
capitalising on current food trends,
organic farms are now doing a booming
business.
Fishmongers and butchers
This is where wet markets got their name,
with the markets frequently getting
a hose-down to keep them clean –
particularly the fish and meat sections.
These are ubiquitous and it is worth
getting to know one or two from whom
you can source your meat and fish. Meat
is bought by price or weight, and seafood
is bought by portion, weight or whole
(live fish). A selection of fresh water fish
and seafood is typically available. If you
are looking for something big – such
as a fresh duck or rack of ribs – order
in advance and arrange to pick it up,
typically the next day.
Barbecue meat stalls
Most wet markets and street markets
will have at least two barbecue meat
stalls and restaurants, where you can
grab a plate of roast duck or pork with
rice for lunch, and take home a box of
barbecued meat (and rice) for your
dinner. Here you will find the famous
Cantonese BBQ pork, roast duck, goose
Summer 2014
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