Wanted alive or freshly dead
Fish and shellfish play important roles in Hongkongers’ diets, so naturally, a big part of Hong Kong wet markets are dedicated to all things seafood. When it comes to seafood, the key to buying the best is properly assessing how fresh the products are. Obviously, fish and crustaceans that are still swimming are classified as top-notch and the best in terms of freshness, but they also tend to be uber-expensive and hard on the wallet.
Our Hong Kong aunties recommend looking for something that is “freshly dead.” Through an extraordinary combination of luck and vigilance, you might be able to catch the exact moment when a fish dies in one of the tanks, upon which you can instantly point it out to the fishmonger and the price of the product will likely be cut in half.
Of course, these jackpot opportunities aren’t easy to come by, so if you’re not looking to empty your wallet or waste hours staring at the fish tank at the Hong Kong wet market, look to the fish that’s spread out on the ice. Look for ones that still have clear and glistening eyes—that usually means they are just freshly dead. Find a few that you like and ask the fishmonger to flip open their gills for you, and pick the one with the most vibrant red colour.