On a cold morning, I went to the Billingsgate Fish Market. It is, naturally, in the Canary Wharf, which, ironically, is now all posh high-rises housing multi-national corporations.
Yet, I could smell the fish before I could see the actual market.
I arrived towards the tail end of their business day., when the market closes around 8:30 am. Trucks were moving the fish out. Vendors were cleaning out their stores, and hosing down everything. It was wet and slippery everywhere. But there were still lots of fish lying around. I wasn’t totally disappointed.
They have the red snappers, sea breams, mackerels, hake, tilapia, …
Eviscerated sharks.
Big fat carps.
Big fat fish liver.
Crabs of all sorts.
Shrimps of all sizes. Some do look quite fresh, even though they were not swimming anymore.
At a corner of the market, there is a cafe. The foods and drinks available look like other cafes found around London. Unlike eateries in fish markets in Asia, it does not serve seafood. But the walls are covered with photographs of people and scenes from the market, mostly in black and white. It is also here that I heard that the market is being moved to a new site. Perhaps the land is being too expensive, too attractive to corporations, to leave them for the fish. That is sad, because it is a part of the history and culture, that is being lost. The same thing happened to the fish market in Tokyo, and other places.
Outside, seagulls cried and circled the market. Seemingly trying to catch the flying fish which is the wind vane.
Visiting wet markets, particularly fish markets, is one of my favourite activities. In Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Rangoon, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Manila, Taipei, Rochester, Toronto, Turin, Greece, Dakar, Tunis, and across the world. It gives me a glimpse of how people live, what they eat, and how.
It was seemingly a cold and miserable morning, But it was so much fun.
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