The markets are ‘life-center’ of Kolkattans. If there are no markets, half the city’s life is gone. If you’re new to the city and haven’t been to its markets, especially the fish markets, you haven’t seen a vivid image of the city.
Fish markets there are plenty. Having been to many places in the country, I can safely say nowhere would you see fish markets of the scale you see in Kolkata.
The image below is that of a fish stall in Gariahat fish market. The vendor has just spread his fare for sale. You can see Hilsa in the foreground flanked by Gurjali on the left, a plate of shrimps ahead, and tiger prawns on the right. At the far end are carps cut into various sizes.
The activity in a fish market is to be seen to be believed. Kolkattans love fresh stock and the ideal time to buy is early morning. An average buyer will check the fins and ears and press the belly of fish to confirm its freshness before buying. Regulars have fixed vendors from whom they buy. A video here showing the bustle at a city fish market.
Talking of fish market, the story remains unfinished without a reference to the Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo, said to be the world’s biggest fish market and home to the largest fish auction.
Auction, mainly of Tuna, starts at 5 in the morning, and by 9 all activities get over. Tsukiji fish market is a must-see place for foreign tourists though average Japanese rarely visits the place. See the photo of fish market after an auction has ended (image source), and below is a live video of an auction.
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