It was just a casual stroll through a market in the Central District in Hong Kong. We took the Turbojet from Macau to have a look-see to finish off our short holiday.
Market places never fail to engage any onlooker. For us, it was just like home to walk through an open air market. The place pulsates with human energy. Everything is happening at the same time - bargaining, picking the choicest of produce, the unrestrained calls of the vendors and the free banter among themselves,... the list goes on.
Hong Kong is famous for its gastronomic delights and looking at the array of variety in the sea food on display, I could only think of scrumptious prawn and fish dishes - garoupa, pomfret, king prawns, abalone, carp , mussels, clams - all cooked in delectable ways.
There were quite a number of vegetables which I have not seen back home. I guess they come from mainland China. I didn't have the time to take many pictures nor was I brave enough to speak the Cantonese dialect which I falter and slip at every word !! So, I just clicked away. I wasn't sure if the vendors would mind.
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And I found it out all too soon. I came across a woman selling all kinds of bean curd produce - soft, hard towfoo, dried bean curd sticks , fried towfoo. Hmmm, interesting, I thought. Towfoo dishes cooked in so many ways is also an all time favourite of mine. Instinct told me she'd be a 'poor candidate' for the odd shot. Sure enough, a loud , angry ' HEYYYY!' stunned her customer. I jumped out of my skin (a little!) though I was half expecting it but went ahead. Well, just trying my luck!
Anyway,it was a pleasant walk through the market. It's no easy life out there as I saw these hard working people earning their honest way. It's long hours minding their own trade.
And daily they are there for the people who come for the freshest to cook the lovely meals for their dinner tables.To complete it all, there's fresh flowers to add gaiety to their table setting. So, grab some and hurry home. Dinner's cooking! Bon appetit!
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Wow, lots of fresh vggies, meat and flowers!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful tour. I miss Hong Kong very much!! I remember strolling around similar roads with our office partners in Hong KOng, choosing all the freshest seafood there ever was..and I remembered it was very expensive. Am sure you had a great time there :P
ReplyDeleteThanks for taking us to the 'inside' of HKG where tours normally lead us outside.
ReplyDeletei do agree with you .hong kong got the freshest seafood . i remember going to the jumbo floating restaurant , cuma tak tahan harga dia mahal sgt , he he
ReplyDeleteMarket places are my favorite places to spend sometime whwnever I go to a new country. It usually gives you a quick lesson about the culture..
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteJoops, thanks for visiting. All so fresh - just take your pick!
M.Kate, Hong Kong, as expected is bustling. I can sense you like the energy there!We had some lovely food there. Also finally found the shop to eat the scrumptious wanton noodle.
CheaHS@n, It is easier to do a tour of veggies etc rather than shops like in THE Landmark!! Too expensive to get things right! Ha! Ha!
xplorer, we didn't do the jumbo floating restaurant. Many years ago, we did that and I wasn't feeling so well. I just kept throwing up everytime the junk tossed in the waters. Terrible!!
ya, I also enjoy walk thru wet market if I visit to a foreign country (when time is permitted).I'm going to HKG this year end, if time is allow, I will sure visit one of their market.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful market with everything so fresh! I love the varieties of meat, fruits, and vegetables..
ReplyDeleteIt's strange that I've been to Hong Kong several times but never get to visit their markets..lol. Next time I think I would just visit their market. I hope you have fun at Macau too.
ReplyDeleteMarvelous market post, nice fresh photos and tastily written. Thanks for visiting my rabbits! I'll come back here when time allows and read some of your older posts too, they look really good :~)
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteTurquoise Diaries, well said. perhaps also true of taxi drivers, one gets to feel the pulse in the conversations.
Sonia, do enjoy your time in HKG. So much to see and do there.
Icy BC, we say garden fresh, so too, market fresh!
alicesg, i didn't have to spend any money doing the walk, so I found time!!! and it was interesting. I enjoyed Macau for the historic bit. Caught the Cirque du Soleil at the Venetian in the evening and enjoyed the performnce thoroughly.
d.moll,l.ac., thanks for visiting too! Whatever grabs me before the next post, I'll try to pen a few thoughts, so enjoy!
Hi there, thanks so much for visiting my blog. Guess what! I'm going to HK this Sunday for a week. Altho' been there before but still, Yiippppeeeeee!! Is it hot & humid there now?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great trip you had! So much to see and eat! My great-aunt lived in HK for many years, and soon adopted HK mannerisms, such as walking too fast (we couldn't catch up) and (unfortunately!) being excessively loud and assertive! HK folk are not known for their tact or courtesy, yikes!
ReplyDeleteI loved the photos of the veggies and flowers! So colourful! I feel sorry for the live seafood though... sitting in the tubs of water, just waiting to be purchased and consumed... makes me want to cry.
What a great place. I would love to walk through a place like that. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteGreat post,
ReplyDeleteLovely trip you had :))))
I go also to the market,
I eat almost only FRESH food & fruits,
I eat to much but I can have it ..... LOL
I can eat fruit the whole day :))))
Hi
ReplyDeletepetite nyonya, thanks for all the nyonya delights on your blog. yes, it is hot and humid there.
~Covert_Operations'78~,we had a good short break, thanks!
Being polite is a great way to do business, tho i wasn't buying.
Guess you're a vegetarian ?? most times?
Fayes Pekas, thanks for visiting my blog. do pop in again:)
Anya,lucky you! nothing like fresh food, some easier to get than others.
Marvelous pics as usual!!
ReplyDeleteImagine carrying live seafood home and then dealing with the moving crabs or fishes in the kitchen before you can even cook it. Maybe the freshness is worth it. That's what I see from the HK drama serials. Is that commonly practised now?
ReplyDeleteWooooo, my favourite place, the wet market. It is interesting to see how it looks like in Hong Kong! Thks
ReplyDeletethe best part of it is everything looks so neatly organized with numbers and labels! Very interesting!
ReplyDeleteGosh, that's a gorgeous market!I think I've actually been there, 3 or 4 years ago! How funny!
ReplyDeleteHI
ReplyDeleteveronica Lee, thanks so much.
autumn belle, i've only ever bought live crabs home and then 'tackled' them. Do you watch hkg drama serials? am afraid, i do not tune in.
pete, so much flavour to savour in the markets!
Roshni Mitra Chintalapati, thanks for visiting my blog. Very neat stalls. It was easy to see what to buy as there was no mess. What you see you get!
Rob, glad you were there too. i really like your photo of the market scene in Barcelona.
You very rightly mentioned 'market place pulsates with human energy'. The pictures have so much of life in them. And what variety!
ReplyDeleteThat would similar to a Farmers Market, here in the states (minus the hanging meat).
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, and thank you for stopping by my blog!!
HI
ReplyDeleteIndrani, a market is always a lively place !
Alicia, i think I can picture that - the meat on white marble tops, all neatly placed?? Have a good day!
The fresh market for simple things, food is cheaper and quite often fresher like we see here in HK. Looking at the all varieties of seafood you capture, make me go crazy for them all!
ReplyDeleteAnd, I can't forget a famous Cantonese saying that is to say "eat anything with four legs except a table, and anything that flies except an aeroplane":)
So true, isn't it.
Wow so a beautiful market..All vegetables at a single place..I loved the shots..Thanks for sharing..Unseen Rajasthan
ReplyDeleteHI
ReplyDeleteNihal, that Cantonese saying rings a bell! Lucky thing somethings can't be chomped!!
Unseen Rajasthan, yes veggie beautiful and colourful !
Wonderful photos, Keats. They look nice and fresh!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots! The market is a real interesting place. I admire your courage for taking photos like that :). I'm still not that brave ;). Have a wonderful weekend.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteGran, thanks so much.
ROSIDAH, perhaps I was courting trouble but nothing untoward.
You have captured the essence of the market very well through your words and pictures.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful market! I shouldn't look at posts like this before breakfast - now I'm hungry.
ReplyDeleteHI
ReplyDeleteOnkar, thanks very much.
adrienne, I certainly can do with a bowlfu of fresh fruits myself!
Hi it's me again. I have left you an award on my blog. However if it is not your thing feel free to ignore it.
ReplyDeleteHi Turquoise Diaries, I really appreciate your award. Thanks so much for thinking of me :)) I wanna hug you right now.
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by my blog. Everything in the market looks fresh. Hubby would buy food I would buy flowers. :)
ReplyDeleteHi mothernaturesgarden, sounds a good team at work :) have a good day!
ReplyDeleteas you love all flowers and green enviroment,you must be love bees,you neet to bees for flowers pollunation.Best wishes,stay well.
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteilhami Uyar, thanks for popping by. So true. we need bees for pollination and a decrease in number has been attributed to climate change too.