The Red Market
Kiran MehtaKiran Mehta|Guest Contributor|SHOPPING, MACAU Updated : Mar 17, 2016, 02.36 PM IST
Kiran Mehta
Kiran calls Mumbai home, but is never far from her next trip. Her job involves zipping across the globe, but she insists it is hard work. She has checked into ashrams, lived with strangers in Europe, and tried her hand at extreme sports in Australia, etc., all in an effort to bring you back a story. In addition to the Times Group, she has contributed to National Geographic Traveller (India), Hindustan Times, Spenta Multimedia, The Hindu etc., where she recounts her globe-trotting adventures.
Walk in to find silvery fish on display, some of which swim around tanks until you pick them; strings of sausages which hang at stall entrances, heaps of bright, luscious vegetables peeking out of jute sacks, and then there’s fermented fish sauces sold out of cauldrons. And there’s a floor dedicated to the most fragrant and colourful flowers.
With English not widely spoken, you can spend hours here just trying to figure out the peculiar foods―what the sauces are made of, whether the sea-weed can be consumed raw, how long the meat has been aged, etc. If you’re the sort who travels for food, you’ll find yourself with one too many exotic food-bags to lug back home. The best part about the market is that even if you know your food, this market will leave you with many questions. The answers lie with (bi-lingual) locals. Or just download an app that allows you to translate from Cantonese to English.
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