A Brooklyn Chinese Market

Brooklyn has always been a borough where many new immigrants to the United States first settle. Avenue U in the Homecrest section of Brooklyn has been home for many years to a large Italian population. The last decade saw a large influx of people from Asia, especially China, as well as Israel, Syria, Russia, and other former Eastern-block nations.

I love the diversity of Brooklyn as it enables me to shop and eat in incredible ethnic markets and restaurants.  I've blogged about wonderful Italian bakeries here and here and also Italian specialty markets on this link and also here.  Today I'd like to show you some photos I took this past summer of a wonderful Chinese Market located between 12th and 13th streets on Ave U called Sea Bay Seafood and Meat Market.

As in many local  Brooklyn neighborhood markets, the fruits are displayed outside the store in bins.  I found the store sign above them interesting.

Inside is an incredible array of every type of fresh, frozen and dried fish that you can imagine, at very competitive prices. I shop at this store for much of my seafood and have never been disappointed by the quality or price.

Some of the dried seafood selection in the photo above.  I haven't yet ventured into trying any of it, but I do find it fascinating to look at!

As the name of the store indicates there is also a well stocked meat market with butcher service. This is another fascinating part of the store as I've seen whole suckling pigs, complete chickens. many types of game and fowl, and all sorts of exotic eggs for sale.

The large store is also well stocked with every imaginable jarred and canned Asian variety of sauces, spices condiments, noodles, wrappers, buns and dim sum, candies, cookies, teas, and household items.

The large fresh vegetable section of the store has a fabulous array of hard to find vegetables favored in Chinese cuisine, such as bok choy, daikon radish, choy sum, lotus root, tarro root, bitter melon, as well as more easily found ginger root, nappa cabbage, bean sprouts,  celery, garlic, carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, etc.  I find it hard not to buy too many items here, as I love fresh vegetables and they all look very tempting.

Do you have a favorite Chinese/ Asian recipe? I'd love to know what you would want to buy in this market.

I'm linking up with Susan at A Southern Daydreamer blog for her wonderful "Outdoor Wednesday" event and also Jenny of the Jenny Matlock blog for her Alphabe Thursday event ..the letter this week is "C"  Thank you ladies!  Please visit both blogs on their respective days to see links to other blogs participating in both events.