Wet Market

A wet market is a marketplace selling fresh foods, such as meat, fish, and produce, and other consumption-oriented perishable goods in a non-supermarket setting, as distinguished from "dry markets" that sell durable goods, such as fabrics, kitchenwares and electronics. These include a wide variety of markets, such as farmers' markets, fish markets, and wildlife markets. Not all wet markets sell live animals, but the term wet market is sometimes used to signify a live animal market in which vendors slaughter animals upon customer purchase, such as is done with poultry in Hong Kong.

Wet markets are common in many parts of the world, notably in China, Southeast Asia, and South Asia.
They often play critical roles in urban food security due to factors of pricing, freshness of food, social interaction, and local cultures.
Despite their importance in local food systems and livelihoods, wet markets often lack essential food safety infrastructure, such as cold chains, standardized hygiene practices, regular inspection, and product traceability.

Back to Markets & Culture →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0