First off, let me say that I am thankful for once that I am here in the freezing cold. I can not imagine what such a place would smell like in the heat - no check that. I can imagine - we passed through just a place in India in the middle of summer, worst smell I have ever experienced EVER. So I am thankful that I did not have that fragrance to accompany this trip.
In the middle of the square is a large open building where the vegetables are. I liked this part. Tables and tables of veggies - you could make really good salads or stir fry. It was really beautiful - the colors and smells of the produce. The venders are funny - Lori has been told to bargain for the prices, but they don't budge, so she doesn't think it's really a place to haggle the price. We bought some lettuce for our hamburgers tonight. We are having a teacher and her family over for dinner, and they make american food when the host local guests for meals. Last night we had fajitas - yummy!!!
Then comes the meat. All around the outside of the vegetable market are stalls of meat sellers. I think it is arranged by type of meat - but some venders sell multiples types. There are hunks of meat sitting on the tables - huge carcasses hanging from hooks on the ceiling. After asking several people for beef and being directed in several directions, we ended up at Lori's mutton man - he also had beef. There are feathered chickens in a pile to one side of the table. There is half a sheep or some animal laying on another part - some ribs, and then chunks of cut beef around the table. She asks the man for 3 jins (lbs) of meat - to show she wants it ground she makes a really funny grinding noise while making almost a movie motion with her hands to show grinding. He understands. He asks if we would like bones in our beef - not for tonight thanks! He places chunks of beef on the scale until it reaches about 3 jins.
Then the grinder. Who knows how long this butcher has had this grinder. It is well used, and probably has never been cleaned - ever. There are at least 3 types of meat he sells - today. So most likely, this grinder has ground 4-5 types of meat over the last years, with no cleaning in between. (Is your stomach turning yet?) So, he grinds the meat into a bag - double bags it and gives it to us to take home. Time to pay - Lori hands him the money, and he gives her change. He gives her change without washing his hands - I don't think they wash their hands at all throughout the day! So - we have contaminated meat and contaminated money. Just saying - don't ever let your kids play with money in other countries!
So, now we have our ground meat to make hamburgers for dinner. I think it goes without saying that all burgers are well done in this China House!
On the way around we pass a row with a crate of live chickens. These are the fluffiest chickens I have ever seen! They are actually kinda pretty - all white with these little blue spots on their faces by the beak. I peeked inside the shop they were outside of, and there were feathers everywhere! This is where they kill and pluck them... I have had to kill and pluck a chicken before, so it wasn't too startling, but still, a real look at another culture of butchery! Next comes fish - they have tanks of crowded fish (live) and then they have trays of dead ones - some skinned, some not. I'm not big on fish, but considering we are in the middle of China - no where near the coast - I would definitely go for the live fish!
In addition to meat and veggies - you can buy various canned goods and spices in this market as well as pots and pans (for under one dollar!) It was a great afternoon and really interesting to see the way the chinese in this city acquire their food!
