Not me... I had a little power supply problem that needed fixing, so I spent a couple hours chasing down a short in the video distribution system. I was finished up by noon so I had a bite to eat, then James S and I headed out... We wandered about Taipa and Macao for a bit, and wound up at the Red Market.
James nearly blew chunks when we walked in... If you've never been in a real third-world market, one where you get to choose the chicken out of the cage that they then wring, pluck and dress while you wait, let me tell, it is a real eye-opener.
I've been to quite a few...
In Italy and Greece the fresh markets are pretty filthy and will put a scare into those of a frail constitution. Tsukiji in Tokyo is amazing for how clean they are able to keep it. For a place that sells (literally) hundreds of tons of seafood daily, the place doesn't smell of fish and the floors are so clean your could eat off them.
The markets in Beijing and Shanghai were...um...interesting. The smells in some of them were bad enough to make a billy goat forage elsewhere, and the market in Mexico City was probably the worst. The conditions in a really nice looking supermarket was so bad that even I couldn't stand it for more than 5 minutes. Horrific.
But the Red Market in Macao- not too bad, really...
I love looking at the different things available in a particular region...and after visiting the Red Market it made me wish I had access to a kitchen, some cumin and garlic.
Dark, dingy. Smells like a tomb.
Preserved Duck... If someone out there knows how this is prepared, please let me know. As far as I can tell, it looks like more like a Frisbee than a fricassee.
Scrimps! Oh, for some garlic and butter!
A veritable smorgasbord- Escargot, regular prawns, mantis shrimp, barramundi, eel, and the list goes on...
Looks like someone out of the pompano family...
More preserved chicken quarters, the smoked Chinese/Macaoan version of Chuleta and some evil-looking dried sausages.
Shanghai Hairy Crab... These guys are alive and bubbling...
Tasty, but not my cup of tea. Too much work for not enough reward.
(I'm spoiled by stone crab and blue crab from Florida)
Nice fresh veggies!
(Make sure you wash them though. You would not believe how they fertilize the gardens here.)
More veggies, including the biggest damn cukes I have ever seen, up at the top of the picture.
The local fresh markets might not smell great, but they can tell you a lot about the people who live in the area, what they eat, and how they live.
If you have the opportunity, don't waste it. Broaden your horizons.
TBG out shopping-
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