Green Options

On the same day that a loophole in endangered species trade law was closed, officers from the Metropolitan Police Wildlife Crime and Chinatown Units raided a TCM shop.

Approximately 200 products made from endangered tiger, leopard, and musk deer were seized from a “traditional Asian medicine” shop in London’s Chinatown area - a productive raid on the first day that an amended wildlife trade law came into effect.

Despite a mild insecurity with shopping in grocery stores where the latin alphabet graces few labels, I was overcome with a desire to shop in Chinatown today upon seeing the perfect, sunny weather. More than picking up a few veggies, I was hoping to gather some inspiration. I have gotten into a bit of a cooking rut lately, which seems to be a consequence of farmer’s market shopping: always the same vendors, little variation from week to week. But much like a farmer’s market excursion, the Chinese groceries along Spadina Avenue offer a pleasurably ambling shopping experience without the neon lights, air conditioning and tasteless, overpackaged food that can be found at my local supermarket.

After fortifying myself on BBQ Pork steam buns, I walked into the first grocer