Abalone

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The invitation for an expat tour to the Shanghai fish market conjured up a picture of vendors and decrepit carts selling all sorts of wiggly creatures that I would never eat. Yes, it was all that, but also,  a community where people live, work, and sell a lot of fish to one of the largest demand markets in the world. Their day begins around 3 am when the fresh supplies arrive from the ships and airports; soon the restaurateurs come through to buy the daily specials, followed by locals, tourists and housewives looking for a freshly caught dinner. By early afternoon, the vendors spray down the sidewalks and retire upstairs to their homes. Our guide, Janny explained that Chinese people like to eat fish brains to make them smarter, turtle to ensure a long life, and seahorse (for men) to increase potency and produce sons.

At the end of the tour, we walked across the street for lunch.  I selected a ‘treasure fish’ (looks like a flounder), flopping around… very fresh, for 95 yuan ~ 14 dollars. The restaurant steamed it up with a simple soy sauce and it tasted fabulous. We also had ‘green vegetable’ which I will have to research to find out what it is- prepared with minced beancurd and sesame seeds. I feel a little bad that Fred is hard at work in the office with no prospect of lunch, but I will bring him here for dinner soon!