Chef Hua, a seafood seller from Haining, drives to Hangzhou's seafood market at the end of the month to stock up on goods for the upcoming fishing moratorium. He has a unique perspective on seafood, including yellow croaker, pomfret, hairtail and pike crab.
In this bustling fish market, the wet air is filled with the salty smell of sea water and the aroma of fresh seafood. Crowds weave from stall to stall, picking out their favorite seafood.
Aunt Huang and her wife also joined this shopping carnival. They wandered around the market and eventually caught their eyes on the plump little cuttlefish. Aunt Huang squatted on the ground, carefully choosing, wanting to prepare a sumptuous seafood feast for the upcoming family.
At the same time, boxes of Tokai kelp fish are neatly arranged on the stalls on the side, shining like swords. Each of these hairtail fish weighs more than a catty, and some are even wider than an adult's palm. Although it has a slightly rough appearance, it has a delicious taste and is a popular item for diners.
In the other corner of the market, the stall of the eldest sister of Taizhou was also crowded with customers. She specializes in wholesale longline hairtail fishing, which ensures the supply of goods even during the fishing moratorium. This makes her stall even more prosperous during the fishing season.
Today's market also has a rare cart of wild yellow croaker in the East China Sea. This treasure, known as the "gold of the sea", immediately caused a sensation. People gathered to catch a glimpse of this rare seafood. In a short time, two boxes of large yellow croaker were snapped up by enthusiastic vendors.
In addition, the market's pike crab trading is in full swing at night. The daily trading volume is about 3,000 catties, and the wholesale price has been stable at 50 yuan a catty. However, the recent decline in the volume of arrivals from the chilled trading area shows that the overall arrival of sea-caught seafood in the East China Sea this year is not as good as in previous years.
With the May Day holiday approaching, the East China Sea is about to enter a three-and-a-half-month fishing season. Although this means that some of the seafood will be temporarily off the market's stage, seafood lovers are already looking forward to the seafood feast after the fishing moratorium ends. In this season full of expectations, Chef Hua, Auntie Huang and many seafood lovers are making careful preparations for the future culinary journey.