Berry NSW Markets 2021

 

Before 9am, the nearby roads are beginning to be full of the parked vehicles of market visitors.

The Berry markets are held monthly on the first Sunday of each month.  Closed during the Covid 19 year until October, it has bounced back with more stalls, predominated by arts and crafts, clothes and fresh produce.

Australian succulents are ground displayed in a region more of bush than urbanity than Big Smoke Sydney. around two hours away by road.   For the price of under a quality cuppa, one can take home something natural with texture and not needing much care.   Several people were observed getting big sized pots with plants that can adorn the pergola, corridor or front door.

A bird bath that looks more like a cooking Wok in a stall with unusual metal craft.   As in any outdoor market, there can be gems to enjoy looking and savouring.   Some are new, some are hard me downs but it is always a pleasurable adventure.

A captivating miniature wind wheel that responds to Nature's moods.

It reminds me of the spirit of the Australian bush and outback, with ingenuity echoed in crafting, practical usage in things installed around the farm and with a background of a blue sky as generous as the the country itself.

A rather stylish version of the coffee cart, based on the caravan lifestyle and in colours that did not escape my eye.   There was only one other barista coffee place in the markets, perhaps alluding to the several fixed venue cafes at the nearby main strip of Berry, which has attractions like crafted fabric and furniture, household gifts, hipster styled burgers and sandwiches, window shopping opportunities, a pub lunch and little malls with unusual products.

Different fresh producers and retailers do turn up at these Berry markets - and I find they can be unique in their offerings.   The standardised quality and variety of produce from supermarket duopoly players has not impressed me, so when I can, it is always a good day out checking out supplies nearer to the source, in all their different shapes, feel and freshness.  There was a hard working young man doing his chores at this veg and fruit stall  - he made sure the laid out produce was arranged properly, refusing their supply and generally keeping an eye on everything else while his colleagues collected payments from customers.

There was a couple specialising mainly in tomatoes of several varieties.   Their wares instinctively looked so much better than what we mostly get in city scares and franchised large stores.  Interesting enough, I could not locate any lemons in any stall that Sunday.   We had nice freshly made mango fruit juice at Common Ground on arrival.  There were not many cooked food outlets in these Berry markets, though there was a friendly Aussie bloke offering samples of Thai food, a couple selling Shanghai dumplings, another couple offering Dutch pancakes and profiteroles and the always there Turkish Gozleme stall. 

The doggie obviously had no interest in getting a sack of organically grown potatoes.   It was very unusual for me to come across stall selling only a single fresh produce.   Good to not come across plastic bags and also a very clean and uncluttered outdoor market, with some measure of social distancing in this Covid age.   Lots of four footed furry pets were seen enjoying a rather sunny outlook on the morning we visited.

The highway south from Wollongong to Shellharbour and Kiama - construction is being carried out to improve this busy thoroughfare leading further down the South Coast of NSW.  It is just over an hour's drive from Wollongong to Berry.

Smaller sized gourmet loaves made by the Common Ground Bakery form inland Picton NSW, near Campbelltown and the start of the Hume Highway to Melbourne and Canberra.   It is common practice for stall holders to come from various parts of Greater Sydney in these bush markets.

Hong Kong - North Point Markets

The most happy veg seller I have ever come across - and I am amazed at the variety he has on offer!

Known in Cantonese dialect as "Pak Kak", North Point offers one of the most interesting corners you can visit in Hong Kong.    Min Nan is also a popular language for this hub of small business, as many people of Hokkien descent settled here after escaping from political upheaval in south-east Asia.    Another group, comprising Shanghainese, came here after the Communist Revolution of 1949;  their legacy includes the Sunbeam Theatre offering Chines opera performances and the Kiangsu and Chekiang Primary School, the first educational institution to offer instruction in Putonghua (or Mandarin).  North Point was also used for a prisoner of war camp by the Imperial Japanese Army.   The Hong Kong Electric Company also set up a significant power station in the early years of the 20th century.

Fresh and delectable seafood can come hard by or are charged at expensive prices in the world's largest cities,  but at North Point, one cannot help buying some.

Housewives, maids and others are like the early birds who can pick the best "worms" - in this case, the freshest, the best looking and the better quality produce.

The best culinary delights here can be traditional, authentic and down to earth.    We saw desserts  (or Tong Sui), hot pots, custard tarts, roast meats, egg waffles, stir fry veg, steamed seafood, snacks, biscuits, dumplings, preserved eggs and more.    A good option is to also head to Java Road, where the Cooked Food Centre distinguishes itself by the Tung Po Restaurant.

On the other side of the foodie spectrum, the Michelin Star winning Lei Gardens has a branch in North Point offering delectable Yum Cha sessions.   Yue Restaurant at the City Garden Hotel is also noted for reliable Cantonese cooking with quality standards.    

In China, the use of red coloured lights accompany the butchers - and this can be seen as well in south-east Asia.

The wide variety of fruits on sale in North Point - bananas from Fujian, cherries from the USA, rambutans from the Equator, longans and citrus fruits.

Located on the eastern districts of Hong Kong Island itself, North Point is not difficult to get to - we just jumped on to the two level and narrow classic Trams that have been operating for untold years.     As our Tram approached North Point itself, I could feel the buzz, the crowdedness and the vibes in even more intensity.   As the Tram was about to turn into a curve, we got off - mind your head on the narrow stairs if you are coming down from the upper level.     We were fortunate to just step out at the start of the street with the markets - Chun Yueng Street.

I was truly captivated by the eyes of this crab variety - the seafood is so fresh we came across an active fish shaking water all over the customers!

No raw chicken meats are sold outdoors in Hong Kong - and their absence is so noticeable in North Point.   The ghastly experience with SARS more than a decade ago, coupled with the penchant for bird flu to raise its ugly head during the cooler winter months - has made the SAR Government very strict about the handling of chicken meat.

You can also get to North Point on the MTR subway lines  (Island Line or Tseung Kwan O Line).

North Point is a walk about place -  apart from the markets, try covering at least Java Road, Tin Hau Temple Road , Tsat Tsz Mui Road, Tong Shui Road and Wharf Road.  There are also other educational institutions of note in North Point -   the Hong Kong Japanese School and the Chinese International School are both on Braemar Hill.

The North Point markets do remind me of Shantou streets, in a city up the coast of Guangdong.   There is an adrenalin of the people moving about and working, buying and selling, walking and watching - all this can at times be lost in large swaths of territories and nations which have less urgency and more comfort in the course of daily life.    I can envisage that the residents here may not need to cook, as in other parts of Hong Kong where freshly cooked food is so easily accessible - and there is no need to keep a fridge or freezer at home.  We dropped by a pop up shop selling IT accessories - and the lady was friendly in attending to us.    There may not be many fancy contemporary hipster barista cafes at North Point - I did not come across any - but it is all right, for the delights of North Point continue to be unique in a fast changing world.

Fishballs, rolled yummies with bean curd skins, calamari, octopus, dried shrimp and more -  some of the essential ingredients in southern Chinese cooking.

Asian vegetables are now mostly sourced from Guangdong province.

Shantou Synergy - Markets

A Sunday morning walk seemed the perfect idea, especially when after several days in a foreign land, mostly taking in touristy sights.   The weather was all right, warm above twenty degrees Celsius, although with a cloudy outlook.  We wanted to feel what a weekend can be for the Shantou locals, and not just in trying the food, but in aiming to have a grassroots perspective.    

Shantou, or Santow in Teochew, has its origins from the Song Dynasty  (960 to 1279 AD), and experienced massive devastation during the 1922 typhoon.   Almost a hundred years later, the city has bounced back, in no small part due to the grit, determination and passion of its people.    The Tropic of Cancer passes just north of the city and so the area has a sub-tropical climate.

After a quick snappy breakfast of millet porridge and steamed buns,  we eagerly propelled ourselves to the street markets located only a few roads away.   There we were, savouring in what must be lost in contemporary cities that have moved the provision of food to climate controlled bland buildings.    

Our first impressions were the sheer sight of eager but small businesses laying out their fresh produce on stalls out of a moveable table, or sited in what seems to be a hole in the wall.   More was to follow, like the buzz of commerce in eager eyes and careful buyers.   The colour, chatter and connectivity between producer and consumer.  The energy of butchering, crafting and cooking skills.   The sheer urgency to break even in trade and money before the sun rises up too high over the southern China coast.

Yellow bean curd for cooking, freshly made each day.

I was convinced, that day, I was brought back in time to a few decades earlier.   The streets are retro but were mostly clean, save for some debris discarded from the relentless push to sell and the passing by of market goers.  This was what perhaps Western society calls a wet market - and the stalls ran around a few streets, lanes and side alleys.   

The aisles between stalls could be the road itself or as narrow as a motor bike rider could push through, with wares and all.   We looked ahead at where we were possibly heading whenever we turned into a new path, conscious of the unknown, excited at the possibilities and our senses fully in tune with what greeted us.

If I was to think of one sentence to describe Shantou, it is the adage of "the early bird catches the worm".    And yet I am told that the Teochews love to participate in their midnight suppers.

Yes, I had planned for snacks like freshly steamed Teochew cakes, quick bites of savoury stuff and quaint drinks.  In the end, I ended up not having an actual bite of anything, even as we strolled along a journey of the wonderful, interesting and captivating.    Maybe we were too busily engrossed in discovering the new and the mysterious.  I was fascinated by the craft of the butchers, with their speciality choppers , intense focus and experienced ways.  And yet there are vegetables, fruits and seafood as well.


Whole legs of pig trotters, heads of goats and careful cuts of meat were displayed in a manner that opened my eyes but in another land, may have also made political correctness to display written warnings before one enters these markets.   Some of the sellers recognised the presence of sticky beak visitor-photographers who are intent to record everything on their dangling equipment.     Other let it be and were tolerant.   I was happy to record a lifestyle that is still vibrant in Shantou but have disappeared from many neighbourhood markets long ago.

Shantou oranges are well known, especially in south-east Asia and appreciated during the Lunar New Year.

I had set my eyes and taste buds on these biscuits.

The aroma, the sounds and the overall feel all rolled for a contented me.  This to me illustrated a real holiday, where one does not sit on deck chairs for long hours but gets immersed in the every day life, the practical regime and the soul of the locals.  I wondered what dishes the local women were planning for their kitchens with their fresh purchases of the day.  

This was Guangdong province, where it is a must and tradition to source fresh and to eat fresh.   Many market goers knew their suppliers well.   My group of six engaged to obtain the roast goose - not any goose, but that of the Lion head.  This is a goose species that was larger than usual.   There were already a few stalls that were selling the roasted versions and we had seen the live noisy quacking ones in some farms miles away from here.

Lotus flower roots, ingredients for soups and stir fries.

The buildings surrounding the markets can be quaint and could have seen better times, but truly on closer inspection, there are pockets of renovation, columns of wear and tear and echoes of previous prosperity.   Would I have preferred gleaming marbled walls, smooth and seamless floors and a uniformity of what seems to be modern business architecture?   Absolutely not!


In my mind and attitude, the character is enhanced of the place with all this sincere heritage look.  Times may not have been good when you see cheap tiles, cracked walls and rusty facades, but they all tell a story of frugality, weather worn effects and previous building periods.   Shantou is truly an old city harking back to hundreds of years, but the people are determined, passionate and hard working.   There is a certain rare charm about Shantou that one misses in so called modern hubs....is it the accumulated work of various generations, or is it the hope that bounces out of every child we meet, dotted upon by loving grandparents?   Is it in the way each trader conducts himself or herself in trade?  I find there is, underlying all things, a desire to improve one's lot.

Can someone please educate me on what this is?   Could they be the pork jelly, or Ter Ka Dang in Teochew?

In the West, we yearn for the slow movement,  in trying to shorten the journey of food and produce from source to our dining table.   Here in Shantou, I see this happening, even in the second decade of the 21st century.  The cynic in us may also raise doubts as to the integrity of the food, as to whether excess pesticides are used, as to whether farm animals have been humanely kept and whether there are any artificialities like plastic used in producing rice and milk.    


To me, the answer is simple - we use our own judgement in the taste of the food we choose to eat  - and we ensure that we are moderate in consuming any thing.    Richness is in variety - and from what we saw in the Shantou markets,  this was a place of what it means to be truly living.  There are grains and nuts,  shelled fish and swimming seafood; there are meats and other parts of grazing animals; there are the vegetables the goodness of edible flora;  there are home made creations of desserts, biscuits and cakes; and there are snacks and drinks.

The much desired roast Lion Heads.

I admired the detailed dedication of this young butcher in attending to his art and  livelihood.

Steamed, baked, poached, braised or stir fried ?   I pass by the oyster omelettes and duck in soups enhanced in taste by preserved vegetables.  Dumplings can be filled with a combination of dried shrimps, chives, ground pork, peanuts, mushrooms and radish.  The fish are best steamed, the duck is often braised and the chicken poached.  Congee is served thinner when compared to their cousins in Guangzhou.


I noted that there are not many diary based products here, being away from the temperate zone.  Shantou cuisine emphasises on using garlic, ginger, bean curds, soy based seasonings, dried and fresh seafood, rice based mixtures and vegetables.

Known in Singapore as Png Kueh, these pink lovelies stand out amongst the crowd.

Eggs are preserved by coatings on the outside of the shell and the result is a pickled snack that can be used when required.

Every corner and space is utilised to create a tight neighbourhood.

Some may question the standards of cleanliness of such outdoor markets, but as long as one consumes food and drink that is made in front of you, or well cooked, you do not have to worry.   I am more interested in the harmonious combination of textures and flavours that Teochew cuisine can offer.  Some dishes are bland but have accompanying sauces that uplift the taste.   There is no extensive use of chillies as in Sichuan culinary traditions, nor the variety of grills as in the north of China.  What then does Teochew food stress upon?

In the Guangdong practice and preference, freshness is important.   In Teochew cuisine, subtlety is also appreciated, like in the proper making of broths and stock soup.  At the same time, the preferred tea blend is an Oolong called the Tei Guan Yin, named in honour of the Goddess of Mercy, prepared and offered as Gong Fu tea.    To my understanding, this all smacks of a common theme - that of attention to details, whether in the precise cut of a meat, the fine texture of vegetables so they can absorb flavours and condiments or in the lifting up of seafood to its fresh best.

The flurry of activity at these Shantou markets make me forget that this is part of a country ruled by the Communist Party.   The desire to be self-sustaining at the individual and family level underlying this model in China is an alternative to a government having to provide extensive social security benefits, like in Western nations.  

Maybe we are all caught up too much with economic and political labels.   In Shantou, I witnessed sheer human drive, a smart way of doing things and a strong sense of community and family.   These factors are important to any culture and nation.I urge anyone to come visit China to see the reality and to realise the difference from the buzz that can permeate Western media.

The versatility that Shantou displays can be illustrated in its variety of working and living languages - Teochew, Hokkien, Hakka, Cantonese and Mandarin.    It is like at the crossroads of culture and trade locally and regionally.  The people you meet at the markets just want to complete a deal and move on.

There is this traditional utilisation of red coloured focus lamps at roast meat stalls.  Shown here are the Lion Head Goose.

These may not be for the faint hearted, but emphasises a good practice to use every part of the bird or animal.

Lion Head goose are special to the culinary heritage of Shantou and its heartland - there are stewed and roast versions, of which I prefer the latter.  Spices, sauces and wine are used to marinade the goose in both versions.    The goose is more gangly than duck, more earthy than chicken and the roast from Shantou has a deeper bite.

The unique Teochew sauce is the Sha Cha Jiang (in Mandarin) made from several ingredients of Brill fish, soybean oil, garlic, shallots, dried shrimp and chillies.  A mate suggested that this is not to be confused with the Sriracha sauce made in California  but originating from Thailand  - and making waves in fusion food and ethnic suburbs  around Western countries.

Snacks and biscuits, including several that use sesame seed.

This guy is not selling food, but demonstrating the various uses of his cooking utensils.

I could sense the natural entrepreneurship of the market stall holders and shopkeepers in this bustling Chinese port.  Shantou lies not far from the Special Administrative region of Hong Kong, but somehow has not blossomed in trade and commercial activity as much as its southern competitor.   The city's location beside both a river, the Han, and the South China Sea has blessed it with seafood produce.   Its hinterland of south Guangdong, a region brimming with manufacturing and trade, provides another blessing to Shantou as it does to Hong Kong.   Further north along the coast are the two powerhouses of Fujian province - Xiamen and Fuzhou. 


The nearby inland cities of Chaozhou and Jieyang, together with coastal Shantou, form a troika of conurbations shaping the Teochew heartland.  The Teochews themselves have made a significant economic impact in south-east Asia, where much migration took place in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly to Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, present day Malaysia and Singapore.   Even the Shire of Fairfield in contemporary Sydney is a crucible of descendants of Teochews.