Market watch - Jingshen Haixian market

Go early to catch the bustle

Eugenio Iraci, chef de cuisine of Cepe at the Ritz Carlton Financial Street takes Zhou Ruiting fishing at the largest wholesale seafood market in Beijing

For the curious and those in search of fresh fish, Jingshen is the place to go. An early start is a must, however – by 7am the place becomes far less interesting since all the action takes place pre-dawn.

Walk past stalls dedicated to delicacies such as sea cucumber in different grades, both live and dried, sea snails, abalone clinging to their pearly-lined shells, mud crabs in bondage, and some very slippery suspects that remain without a name.

An entire section is devoted to large scale wholesale purchase. Here, tanks of spiny lobsters, giant crab and even reptiles peer through the looking glass.

The motley array of sea creatures include the fascinating geoducks that line up their flaccid siphons like chorus girls along the tank.

Most of the live fish are farmed and while the Chinese usually associate buying live fish with freshness and flavour, that’s not always the case according to Iraci and his sous chef Frank Li: both agree that farmed fish lack the flavours of wild catches.

Whole fish glisten in Technicolor, organised like a bento. This is a place to pick up fresh live clams, crabs, crayfish, shrimp, whole scallops in their shell, and oysters that can be shucked for you.You’ll get better prices, selection, and quality than you will at any supermarket.

Sadly, there is no mind paid to sustainability and many fish that should be avoided are available here (for information on fish sustainability visit www.montereybayaquarium.org).

When buying fresh fish: Look for fish with clear eyes, nothing cloudy. Any fish without a head should be avoided. Get close and give it a whiff; it should smell fresh, not fishy, and touch the surface, lightly poking the flesh.

If your finger leaves an indentation, keep walking. Look under the gills – they should be bright red and clean, not slimy or grey. Make sure you choose the fish as some fishmongers will tr y to pick a fishy specimen for the unsuspecting and naive.

The market is relatively clean as far as fish markets go, but be sure to roll up your trousers and wear shoes you won’t be dancing in. Oh, and don’t forget to bring hand wipes.

Jingshen Seafood Market 232 Shiliuzhuang Xijie, Fengtai district (6723 8987). Open 24 hours daily. 丰台区赵公口232号