Noryangjin Fish Market

I think one of the most exciting places in any city is the market. It's where you can experience the real essence of the city and its people.
I went to the Noryangjin Fish Market here in Seoul last month to buy some fresh seafood. Here are some pictures--I went in the late afternoon, so there wasn't much action going on. The wholesale auction takes place between 1 and 6 AM, so if you want some real action, you have to either get up early or stay up the night before. Since I am neither a night owl nor an early bird (I'm always tired...lazy, some might say :P), I rolled on in sometime after lunch.

Here are some pix:

the sign on top reads: 활어회/hwareo hwe/fresh raw fish (sashimi), 문어/mooneo/ octopus, 복/bok/blowfish, 전복/jeonbok/ abalone, 꽃게/ggot-geh/blue crab

회/hwe/raw fish you can buy pre-sliced. you can also choose a live fish and get the fishmonger to scale, gut and slice it up for you

clams, shrimp, octopus

홍어/hong-eo/skate

"aquariums of death" as i like to call them

haggling

huge octopi legs

the sign on the right says: we have live octopus! (koreans have many names for the different types of octopi)

outside the covered fish market, you can buy fresh veggies with which to cook the seafood you've just purchased. the first pic is of 파/pah/green onions and the second is of 미나리/ minari/ dropwort. both are put into various spicy seafood stews/soups. i bought some to cook 꽃게탕/ggot-geh tang/ spicy crab soup.

My goal is to wake up early enough (or stay up late enough) to see the wholesale auction take place...maybe :P