Tekka Market Goes Online, You Haggle For Fresh Fish With Market Aunties At Home
It’s been ages since I last stepped into a wet market, given the current state of things, and I’m beginning to miss the damp smell of ‘fish ice’ and raw meat.
Some wet markets are still open, but the long queues and alternate-day NRIC restrictions have really taken away the authenticity of the experience. It’s just not the same when you’re not pushing your way through the crowd to see the produce up close and personal.
That said, the restrictions are in place for the better, and we should be avoiding crowds anyway.
While we might not be able to have the physical chiong-ing experience for a while, it looks like wet markets are going online, starting with Tekka Online Market on Tuesday (5 May).
Tekka Online Market brings the wet market to you, live
Helmed by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), Tekka Online Market is part of their new Stay Healthy, Go Digital initiative.
Now that Singaporeans are discouraged from going to crowded areas like wet markets, IMDA is bringing wet markets to them in the comfort and safety of their homes.
Instead of going to the market and braving the crowds, Singaporeans can haggle for the best prices at home, via the Tekka Online Market livestream.
Buy goods via Facebook livestream
From 12pm on Tuesday (5 May), Singaporeans can hop onto Tekka Online Market’s Facebook page to catch their livestream, where they will be showcasing produce they’re selling.
Customers just have to follow the instructions shared on the livestream to purchase the goods they want.
Payment will be made via PayNow. After payment, all customers have to do is sit back and wait for their barang-barang to be delivered.
Customers who place orders above $20 will enjoy free deliveries as well — why not buy more stuff and spare yourself a trip to the market?
6 stalls participating on 5 May
6 stalls are participating in Tekka Online Market’s first-ever sale tomorrow (5 May). Among them are a few local favourites.
Janet from 81 Sheng Yu, known for her succulent, sweet snakehead, will be live-streaming from 1.15-2.15pm. She’ll be selling only the freshest seafood, like cockles, clams, fish and prawns — perfect for an at-home steamboat dinner.
Victor from Chia’s Vegetable Supply will be part of the event too, bringing customers the crispiest, leafiest veggies from around the world.
Whether it’s classics like kailan or obscure vegetables from the Netherlands, he’s got you covered. Just tune in from 12-1pm on Tuesday (5 May).
If you’re a fan of lamb, you’ll definitely have heard of Mr Mustafa’s stall — Haji M N Shahul Hameed Marketing. He’s known islandwide for his quality cuts that are air-flown from Australia and New Zealand.
Catch his livestream from 2.30-3.30pm on 5 May!
Taking a uniquely Singaporean experience online
Though they may have received a great deal of criticism recently, wet markets hold a special place in many Singaporeans’ hearts. It’s where many of us go for the best, freshest produce at affordable prices — not to mention a post-shop feast of our favourite hawker fare.
Where else would it be acceptable to contest with 60-year-old aunties for the best bunch of bayam or bargain down the price of a kilogram of pomfret?
Tekka Online Market is a little snippet of normalcy in the chaos of the ‘Circuit Breaker’. It’s not the same, and it’ll definitely never replace the sloshing, fishy water around your feet or the fearsome cleavers being swung left and right, but it’ll help business owners through these tough times, and we should do what we can to support them.
If you’ve yet to do your marketing this week, why not pop onto their livestream tomorrow during lunch for some entertainment? After all, it could just be a sneak preview of what the future might hold for wet markets.
Featured image adapted from The HoneyCombers and Facebook.
