Chinese Sausages, Baos & Fresh Bok Choy: Have You Been To The Terreti Morning Market Yet?

Wake up early on a weekend and head to this unique pop-up market to sample authentic Chinese food.

You can start your day with the breakfast at this early morning pop-up market that starts at the crack of dawn in Terreti Bazaar, the Chinatown of Kolkata. You’ll find stalls {set up by the Indian Chinese people who live in the area} selling a smorgasbord of foods – fish dumplings, pork baos, hearty soups with pork and fish balls simmering in huge pots, momos and noodles. But you have to come here really early – around 7 AM – the pop-up lasts till about 8.30 AM only as it is in a busy business district and vendors have to wrap up before the traffic starts.

Not only do you get to taste authentic, home-cooked Kolkata Chinese from the experts themselves, you can also stock up on stuff for your kitchen – prawn wafers with subtle flavors of seafood, and lap cheong – air-cured rich and oily Chinese sausages. You can also pick up fresh vegetables used in Chinese cuisine {like bok choy, mustard greens and Chinese cabbage}, fish and seafood, as well as sauces and condiments made by the community.

Some of the dishes unfortunately have been ‘Indianised’ for local taste and may disappoint. But there’s enough here to excite your tastebuds. The market begins really early and it’s all gone by 8 AM to 8.30 AM. So don’t dawdle. It is located on Sun Yat-Sen Street near Poddar Court in North Kolkata.

Instead of driving down, take the Metro. Get off at Central station and ask for Terreti Bazaar.