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At the crack of dawn every day, “wet markets” in China and across Asia come to life, with stall owners touting their wares, such as fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices in an open-air setting. The sights and sounds of the wet market form part of the rich tapestry of community life, where local people buy affordable food, or just go for a stroll and meet their neighbors for a chat.
While supermarkets selling chilled or frozen meats are increasingly popular in Asia, older shoppers generally prefer buying freshly slaughtered meat for daily consumption, believing it produces flavor in dishes and soup that is superior to frozen meat.
“Wet markets”, where water is sloshed on produce to keep it cool and fresh, may be considered unsanitary by western standards. But most do not trade in exotic or wild animals and should not be confused with “wildlife markets” – now the focus of vociferous calls for global bans.
The Wuhan South China seafood market, suspected to be a primary source for spreading Covid-19 in late 2019, had a wild animal section where live and slaughtered species were for sale, including snakes, beavers, badgers, civet cats, foxes, peacocks and porcupines among other animals.
Verna Yu
