Hong Kong wet markets are the less pretentious version of North American farmer's markets. Don't…read moreget me wrong, I love both. Farmer's markets to me are a great place to get local produce but then you also get stuff like hipster coffee, cucumber/avocado/kale water, and funky cheeses. But these wet markets are something else. Less refined, but feeling like the real deal.
Here you walk around hanging cuts of meat and tanks of seafood. Take in that raw stench and realize that cow stomach hanging from a hook could be in your next bowl of noodles. Tai Po Hui is indoors with air conditioning, already one step above traditionally outdoor street stalls, but you still get that authentic feeling. Vendors are talk-shouting across the stands to each other. People are picking out the best cut of steak, the fattest fish, the plumpest chicken feet. This is where the neighborhood comes to shop, haggle, and grab cheap eats.
I'm sure there are many other wet markets around Hong Kong, but this one is very large and very clean. The freshness of the food is remarkable. The shrimp are bouncing around on top of each other, the fish are still swimming energetically. And as someone who did not grow up in Hong Kong, I saw species I've never seen before, like beautiful Lilac-coloured clams and rose apples. I never went to the cooked food centre, but I'm sure it's as impressive and diverse as the ground level market.
This feels like a common market for the common folk, but it can also be an exotic food journey for tourists. I cannot recommend going to a wet market enough and Tai Po Hui Market is a great choice. It's truly a unique experience to get a taste of local culture, figuratively and literally. This, of course, is juxtaposed by the fact that the parking lot is an absolute mess of Mercedes, BMWs, and all manners of rich cars from the nearby millionaires who like to live in Tai Po. Just uh...take the subway. :)
(53/100) - 2017
