Macau’s wet markets are where fine dining restaurants get raw and real, offering fresh produce to kitchens at Riquexó and Mariazinha
- The likes of Riquexó and Mariazinha source vegetables, meat and seafood at Mercado Municipal Almirante Lacerda (Red Market), São Lourenço and Patane
Among Macau’s many offerings for visitors, dining is one of the most important and distinctive. And in delivering exceptional dishes, restaurants still rely on traditional wet markets to source key ingredients.
One of the best known of the city’s wet markets is the 88-year-old, three-storey Mercado Municipal Almirante Lacerda, popularly known as the Red Market. Here, vendors offer a variety of fresh ingredients including vegetables, meat, and different types of fish and seafood.
The products are all thoroughly checked to ensure they are safe to eat, said a local seafood vendor surnamed Chao who has worked at the market for 40 years. Freshness is critical to the taste, and he buys oysters and mussels sourced from Fujian, Shandong and Hainan Island, places on the mainland that provide the best shellfish in his opinion.
Chao said that he has sold to many restaurants in the city, while he also has many regulars who prefer to buy local not only for convenience, but as a way to get seafood products that are as fresh as possible.
The 70-year-old says that he enjoys working at the market and is always happy to see his customers, some of whom bring their own shopping bags, an effort he commends.
