Why I Love Wet Markets (Now)

Wet Market [wet mahr-kit]: A market that sells perishable foods...[and] can be found around the world, but are especially common in China and Southeast Asia... The wet in wet market refers to the melting ice used to preserve fresh meats or the water used to clean their foods or hose down a store.  {see dictionary.com)

The term "wet market" gained international prominence when China officials revealed that the corona virus could have originated from a wet market in Wuhan, China. And it is possible because have you been to a wet market? It is literally wet (don't wear shoes with lousy grip...you've been warned), noisy, chaotic, and the smell of raw meat permeates the air. 

Little wonder I HATED going to the wet market as a young girl. Sellers and buyers shouted to be heard. Butchers chopped off heads and cleared out innards (albeit with deft strokes of the cleaver). Flies landed on the displayed vegetables and fruits. The crowds, especially on Saturday mornings, clustered in swarms. There seemed to be no organisation as to where the stores were assigned. The pork stall could be situated next to a stall selling seafood, which in turn was next to a stall selling vegetables, and that stall was next to the poultry store, that was also the neighbour of another pork  stall, not to be confused with the halal stores that had to be situated somewhere else, and don't forget the fruits stall or the other vegetable stall, etc. How anyone navigated the wet market was beyond me.

Seafood in all its display glory. Customers can inspect and choose their meats, instead of buying it pre-packaged. But you must ignore that it will never pass the hygiene code in some countries (see postscript at bottom of post).

And so for years, I never stepped into a wet market unless forced to by my parents. When I moved to the States, I didn't even think to look up if there was something similar. (FYI, farmers' markets are nothing like wet markets. They share a few principles, but have different "vibes" and purposes.) 

Part of the vegetable store from my neighbourhood's wet market. 

But what's the saying -- absence makes the heart grow fonder? Or perhaps because I'm a product of my time, and given current discussions about race and colonialism, I've grown to treasure my heritage and culture. Or maybe my "liberal graduate school education" taught me to boycott large, evil supermarket corporations, and start patronising smaller local businesses.  

Whatever the case, I found myself embracing the wet market when I moved back. It helped that the market near my home (Sembawang Koufu) is not the same one I went to as a girl (Chong Pang wet market). This one is smaller (so fewer people), better lit, calmer, and is "drier"...or at least as "dry" as a "wet market" can be.😁

Going to the wet market now is a refreshing experience. I can touch, smell (sans mask of course) and examine my food. I can select the produce I want, and only buy whatever quantity I need. I can explore the abundant variety on display, and be exposed to food I've never seen before.

Clockwise from L to R: that mean-looking monster is galangal; 😙baby brinjal (or eggplant); young ginger with sprouts.

Still figuring out what this is used for. 

You don't get the same connection to food at the supermarkets or when buying groceries online.

It's also at the wet market that you get to know the people who handle and sell you your food. True conversation with my mom:

Me: Wah! That chicken stall seller is not very nice.

Mom: Was it the wife who served you?

Me: Yes! How did you know it was the wife?

Mom: Of course I know. She is quite rude. But the husband is quite friendly. I still wish there was another chicken stall though. 

Cheap spices galore! Also, in case anyone is wondering, gerago is really "geragau" (krill). It is an essential ingredient in sambal belacan. See https://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/infopedia/articles/SIP_2013-06-26_105819.html. (I didn't know either!)

And of course, my mom found our family's favourite fruit store at this wet market. I'm convinced we are one of his VIP customers because our fruits are excellent, and he always introduces us to new fruit. Plus my mom spends a lot of money there...😅. 

Don't be fooled by how tepid this store looks. This is a hidden gem!

So does this mean bye-bye to supermarkets? Heck no! Nothing will beat its one-stop-shop convenience, "western food" ingredients, much-needed canned goods and snacks, and most importantly, the AIR CON(DITIONING). Supermarkets have their purpose and place. So does online grocery shopping.  However, I'm now much more incline to buy from the wet market first, before going to the supermarket.

It is still strange to me how this about-face came about. How does one go from hating the chaos to loving it? I don't know. A yearning to return to my roots? An awakening of one's true self? A desire for greater connection to my environment in this time of isolation? Meh, who knows. At this point, it doesn't matter. I'm just excited to get better acquainted with the ingredients and cuisine from my region of the world, and the wet market is the first and great place to start.

Be safe everyone, and don't forget your mask!

P.S. Before anyone is grossed out by the "supposedly" unhygienic standards of wet markets, keep in mind that 1) we wash our food before we eat them, and 2) traditional Asian recipes (at least the Chinese) always cook everything, and often at high temperatures. The closest thing to raw food is pickled or salted vegetables. Food such as sashimi are rare, while the Laos/ Thai green papaya salad uses chilli, spices, and lime to flavour and "cleanse" the dish.