Photography by: Alexander Fernandez
Wet markets serve the needs of their surrounding communities. Based on this premise, they should bear unique characteristics that reflect the diverse communities. Penang Monthly visited a number of wet markets around Penang and found that these, echoing what Tan Ban Ben, the president of the Penang Island Wholesalers Association, said, have been homogenised and standardised. Imported vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower and celery are pervasive, while local ulams, traditionally foraged from the wild or home-grown, have become challenging to find – even in predominantly Malay neighbourhoods such as Taman Tun Sardon.
