I was reading that the proper term is “wet market” - where all the odd animals are sold (bats, mongoose, dogs, rats, etc.). The “wet” part gets interpreted incorrectly as “seafood”.
Crap - I should have looked at post 65. Sorry! Time for bed.
Wet markets were traditionally places that sold dead and live animals out in the open. This includes poultry, fish, reptiles, and pigs. However, since SARS, large animals and poultry are not as commonly found in the markets in Hong Kong, though live fish, shellfish, and frogs are widely available. Some markets also sell exotic animals. Fresh fruits and vegetables are also available. Wet markets also generally include butcher shops with fresh meat. The fresh meat and fish sections are separate from the fruit and vegetable stalls. Many markets also have stalls that sell dried goods, flowers, and processed tofu as well as cooked meat.When I worked in the tiny Chinese village "Shuifu" in the Yunnan province Oct 1976 to Apr 1977, a very small "wet market" was held almost every day. Some local villager would be selling unknown meat in the roadside dirt, covered in flies. Literally, the meat was sitting in the dirt, not covered in paper, not wrapped, not refrigerated -- just sitting in the open air in the dirt. I tried to take a photograph, but was prohibited from doing so. My interpreter translated the local official for me: "Mr. POF, wouldn't you rather take a photograph of our fine Komatsu bulldozer over here?" They only wanted photos of a modern, prosperous and growing China; none of the "true" China of the time.
The Wiki entry points out that these days the "Wet Markets" are largely patronized by the elderly citizens.
Coming from the world of U.S. supermarkets, seeing butchered meat sitting in the open-air dirt covered in flies was absolutely astonishing -- and disgusting.