I love a good market, especially a seafood one, so when my friend Rory suggested I check out the Sydney Fish Market (the largest in the southern hemisphere), I jumped at the opportunity and booked an early morning tour.
I got down nice and early at 6.15, well in time for our three-hour tour ($50 in 2024) to start at 6.40, which meant I could have a coffee and croissant at one of the market cafes before we started. The guide for our group of ten was a very friendly and knowledgable lady called Mandy.
We began by viewing the auction which was already in full flow. Mandy explained that they use the same system as the Amsterdam flower market where the price starts high and goes down rather than up, which allows the buyers to jump in when it’s the right price for them.
Details about each batch of seafood is displayed on large screens next to a descending price timer which we weren’t allowed to photograph as it’s sensitive market information. The buyers are seated on a terracebuyer of benches opposite the screens and are able to bid via the keyboards in front of them.
The auctioneers sit at this big silver desk under the screens and are pretty much silent. In the past they would have stood on a box in front of each lot and taken bids in the traditional spoken manner, but the new electronic system is much faster.
The lots are placed between the auctioneers and buyers in designated areas marked out by yellow lines and sold off in turn.
Once sold the lots are moved by hand truck to the transportation area by the ‘wheelers’.
After this Mandy took us down to the trading floor to look at the produce.
We began with the spiny rock lobsters which were very docile in the crate but became very lively and difficult to handle when picked up. One even cut through Mandy’s glove but thankfully it didn’t draw blood!
Mandy pointed out the white tag which indicates the lobster has been fished in a sustainable manner. No tag would mean the lobster has been illegally caught.
Next we moved on to the swordfish (heads removed) and the albacore tuna.
The tuna are sustainably line-caught and once landed on deck are placed on a mattress to calm and protect them, before being dispatched by means of a chisel punched into the brain.
Mandy also pointed out a circular suction mark where a parasite fish had attached itself to the skin of the tuna and been pulled off by the fisherman. She said the parasite didn’t damage the tuna for eating purposes and was in fact an indication of a strong healthy fish.
When put on display, a small part of the tail is opened up with a billhook so the buyers can see how red the flesh is (an indicator of quality).
Moving on to the octopus, Mandy explained that their primary source of food was crabs and other crustaceans. The octopus envelops the crab with its mantle then drills through the carapace with its beak and sucks out the contents inside. The crab shells are then used by the male octopus to decorate its nest to attract females. The more shells accumulated the more attractive they become as potential mates.
King prawns can be bought either raw or precooked. Mandy explained that if they are overly straight it means they are undercooked whereas if they’re very curly they’ve been overcooked. These were just right.
Mandy was particulary proud of the blue swimmer crabs which can be caught all over the world but are sweeter tasting from Australian waters than elsewhere.
These are carp, an invasive species introduced by European settlers which are unfortunately displacing local species.
And these are Flatheads which are the best fish for fish & chips apprently.
And there were many more…
Another interesting fact that I learned was that while clear eyes are a sign of freshness in fish, cloudiness can be caused by the chlorine in the ice.
Despite tight security, the odd unwanted customer somehow got in.
After the trading floor we went for a look at the displays of the retailers in the public market which were very impressive (press play).
Freshly shucked oysters in particular feature extensively.
The two most common varieties in Australia are indigenous Sydney Rocks and Pacific oysters which were introduced to local waters from Japan after the war. Mandy said the price differentials between retailers were more down to supply issues than variations in quality.
Of course it would have been rude not to partake.
I had a half dozen Rocks from Tasmania (my next destination) au naturel with lemon and another half dozen Pacifics with ponzu and spring onion as inexplicably there was no shallot vinagrette dressing available (my favourite).
As you’d expect the sushi displays were spectacular as well.
This was my introduction to the concept of the ‘sushi donut’ (first pic).
I’m a bit of a traditionalist in these matters though (not fond of gloopy sauces on my sushi) so I stuck with some traditional maki and gunkan rolled sushi which were beautifully bejewelled with a variety of roes.
Something that was very noticable was that about 90% of the market staff were Asian, which was in my mind most likely an indicator of their affinity for very fresh seafood. While that is true, Mandy said that in the early days the industry and been staffed by Latins and Greek people, after WW2 and in particular the Vietnam war, immigrants from Asian countries had come to dominiate the workforce.
Finally we had a walk along the wharf outside.
Mandy told us it was very difficult for the younger generation of fishermen to get started in the industry as the initial capital investment in a boat was well over a million dollars.
I seem to have a knack of catching old markets just before they close (Tsukiji being another example). Outside we could see the new one being constructed on reclaimed land nearby.
I understand the new market is due to open in late 2024 although it looks like it may take a while longer.
Finally here are links to three more of my favourite fish markets:
Tsukiji in Tokyo (post here).
La Pescheria in Catania (post here).
Rialto in Venice (post here).
A roundup of Sydney restaurants next!