Singapore Stories - Wet market, a dying business in Singapore
Hi fellow Steemians, I am starting a new series today and it will be focused on topics that are closed to my Singaporean heart. I read an article today on Channel NewsAsia and it provoked some thoughts within me.
A fish seller at a wet market stall
The wet market is a place where many Singaporeans will visit for fresh food. You can find all sort of meats, fruits, vegetables and other cooking ingredients at there. The food there are typically cheaper and fresher than what you can find in supermarkets. Also, it is usually near a hawker centre (another topic which I will cover in my future posts) so you can always swing by for an affordable and sumptuous breakfast after shopping. I still remember when I was young, my grandma would always bring me along to the wet market in Hougang/Lor Ah Soo. At that age, I hated it when she brought me to the fishmonger because the smell was the worst. Thinking back, I think it was all worth it as I would get to eat fresh steamed fish on the same day evening after the trip to the fishmonger :). My favorite was the fruits stall. It is probably due to the vivid and varied colors that I can see there.
Fruit stall at a wet market
Today the wet market business is gradually replaced by supermarkets. With technological advancements, supermarkets are gradually able to provide food that are equally fresh and sometimes equally cheap. Supermarkets also open for longer hours so many working Singaporeans who cannot find time to go to the wet market (which typically opens only in the morning) will opt to make their purchases at supermarkets. However, there is one thing that supermarkets can never be better than wet market, the relationship that was built. I recall that my grandma used to know almost all the stall owners at the wet market and vice versa. Very often, she was able to get some good bargains due to the relationship. This is something that will never be found in supermarket.
With Singaporeans getting busier over the years, I foresee that more people will choose to buy food from supermarkets and online stores. Eventually, there will be very low demand for wet market. It is a dying trade and I urge all younger Singaporeans who have never been to the wet market to visit it one day. Experience the difference between the wet markets and supermarkets and share your thoughts here with me.
For non-Singaporeans, you might know us as a financial hub and a regional healthcare center. And you might only know tourist hotspots like Sentosa, MBS, Singapore Flyer, the Zoo, Night Safari and etc. These are just things that we are known for to appeal to the usual tourists. If you are those who really like to experience the local life where ever you visit, then you must visit a local wet market to witness our cultural diversity. I recommend going to the Tekka wet market as it is one of the largest in Singapore.
Thanks for reading! This is the first entry in my "Singapore Stories" series and I will continue to write more about Singapore as part of my commitment to #teamsingapore.
Sometimes, my family goes to Geylang to buy fresh poultry at the wet market. The market is housed like a big kampong called "Kampung Melayu Geylang Serai". Can't wait for the next series. Great article, there! Upvoted!
Cool! I think I have been to the market once as well. It is a very popular market and will get very crowded during Hari Raya period.
Yes, the wet market is an interesting feature of Singapore life. Unfortunately, as life progresses here, and as you pointed out, when people are working and busy, many opted for the supermarket, some of which are open 24 hours. The supermarkets are clean and air-conditioned. That is also an added attraction - plus which they carry more stuff so one can do marketing and buy sundry stuff. And because they are big corporation/companies, they are able to get discounts from suppliers - which they can pass on to their customers. So, they are not overly more expensive than the wet markets. In some instances, they are cheaper. So, all factors add up - giving the wet markets a run for their money.
Yea, supermarket prices are getting very competitive. The only differentiating factor wet markets have will be the relationship built between the stall owners and customers. But even with that, it will be hard for wet market to sustain...
Yes, you are absolutely right. The stall holders have a rapport / relationship with their regular customers. Sometimes, they reserve the good stuff for them, and sometimes will tell them that the items which the customers want to buy are 'not so fresh today', and ask if they can wait till the next visit. Sometimes, they will recommend customers - or if you ask them - they will tell you how to cook the items, the best method and ingredients to go with it. This, you will never find in the supermarkets. Cheers!
When i was young, i could not differentiate the difference between wet and dry market. And whenever my grandma says she is going to the wet market aka 湿巴沙. I would assume that a raincoat or goggles is needed. Yes, they are definitely dying and most of the youngsters nowadays prefer to avoid them.
Haha.. that is a funny story. Yea, I think it is part of our history and cultural but unfortunately, youngsters may not appreciate it anymore.
When I was young, some wet markets even had live slaughtering of chickens. These big rotating machines where chickens were getting their defeathering.
I did not get the chance to see that. But I supposed it will not be allowed by the government. Haha..
I truly love the way you are writing. If you are writing a book one day, tell me, I gonna buy it. :D
Haha.. the sentiment is mutual my friend! But I still have much to work on.
You will get there, I hope.
Did you know when I was younger you can buy Char Siew right from the meat store and eat? Sounds unhygienic but back then we were strong kids. I don’t know what happened to the immunity of kids nowadays. 😩
Lol.. there was this saying in hokkien "lup sup jiak, lup sup dua" (loosely translated as, you will still grow up normally regardless what you eat when you are young). I guess parents these days are overly protective so kids' immunity do not get developed as well as earlier generations 😆
Yep. Lup Sap kia here. 😂😂😂 sounds wrong though.
but we are alot strong then compared to now
Trudat
we still have that is our Bukit Batok market
Hi @lucyng, I noticed that you are also posting a lot on Singapore. You might want to consider using the #teamsingapore tag so the rest of us will see it. You can contact @jrvacation to join our Facebook group if you have not done so 😃
It would be sad to see wet markets 'die' out. There needs to be more articles like this for the community to help keep it alive.
Thanks! There are many dying trades in Singapore. I want to make sure they get some deserved attention before they fade into the background.
I look forward to reading about more of them! Hopefully some of Singapore's old cultures and traditions will stay for the future generations.
This is a wonderful post, Thanks for sharing. I will keep this in mind, the wet market sounds like a great place. If I ever go to Singapore, I'll be sure to go there. :)
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Thanks! If you want to experience the local Singaporean life and culture, you should visit one of the wet markets.
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I LOVE WET MARKETS!!
I do. My idea of a nice exploration of a country is their supermarkets ( groceries section pls) and their wet markets. Like you said there's always food nearby to satisfy hunger pangs. Personally I felt that one can learn so much about country/state's culture just from the local market.
For eg, in Terengganu, the markets produce are different from what we commonly see in the west, and items nearer to the north like KEdah and Perlis have more thai related produce. So yea, I love all markets! :) That includes night markets too!
Fully agreed to this! I also like to shop for snacks that can only be found at the country I visit. And as for night markets, I like those in Bangkok and Taipei the most.