Ukutyelela Eyona Marike Inkulu Yeentlanzi Ehlabathini
NGUMBHALI KAVUKANI! EJAPAN
NGABA uyakunandipha ukuba kwimarike ephithizelayo? Enye yeemarike onokuzithanda netsala abakhenkethi ehlabathini lonke yiTsukiji, imarike yeentlanzi engekude kuyaphi ukusuka kumbindi weTokyo. Idume ngokuba yeyona marike inkulu yeentlanzi ehlabathini lonke.
Elona xesha lokuya kuyo kuxa kuthi qheke ukusa. Ngoxa abantu abaninzi besekobentlombe kwezinye iindawo eTokyo, sekukudala abanye besebenza emarikeni. Iilori zothula iintlanzi ezimalunga neetoni ezingamawaka amabini ngemini yaye xa zizonke ezi ntlanzi kufuneka zothulwe kuseluqhiza kuba ngentsimbi yesi-3:00 kusasa, abathengi sele besiza kuthenga. Abathengisi baqalisa ukulungisa iibhokisi zabo ezineentlanzi, ibhokisi nganye ibhalwe inombolo, ubunzima bezo ntlanzi nendawo ezilotywe kuyo. Kulula ukubabona abathengi. Banxiba iibhutsi ezenziwe ngerabha neekepusi ezibhalwe iinombolo zabo zamaphepha-mvume. Ngokungafaniyo nabakhenkethi abarhuq’ iinyawo, abathengi bamaxhaphetshu behlola ezo ntlanzi ukuze bagqibe ngemali abanokuzithenga ngayo. Abo baphethe igwegwe, isibane netawuli ngabathengi betuna. Ezi zixhobo zisetyenziselwa ukuhlola ituna, itawuli yona bosula ngayo izandla emva kokuba ziye zaphatha intlanzi.
Umbhodamo uqala ngeye-5:30 kusasa. Mbombo zonke kutsho intsholo yeentsimbi njengoko abathengisi bebiza abathengi ukuba baze kuthenga. Abathengisi babakho kuyo yonke indawo. Inyaniso ikukuba, kukho iimarike ezisixhenxe ezivulileyo kwangelo xesha, kodwa ezinye zinabathengisi ababini okanye ngaphezulu abathengisa izinto ezahlukahlukeneyo ngaxeshanye. Bonke aba bathengisi benza intsholo bebiza iinombolo zeebhokisi ezifake ezo ntlanzi, baze abathengi bakhuphisane beshiyana ngotyefezo. Amaxabiso abizwa ngokukhawuleza kangangokuba ixabiso lesixa ngasinye lichazwa ngemizuzwana nje engephi. Abanye abathengi bathenga kubathengisi ababini ngaxeshanye. Kwivenkile nganye kuvunyelwa umthengi omnye kuphela, ngaloo ndlela abathengi bafanele bagxagxamise ukusuka kwelinye icala ukuya kwelinye ukuze bafumane loo ntlanzi bayifunayo. Abo bathenga iintlanzi ezininzi nezahlukahlukeneyo ukuze baphinde bazithengise kwezinye iivenkile, mhlawumbi ngabona baba zizinxadanxada.
Ngokukhawuleza zakube zihlawulelwe, abathengi bazihambisa ngokukhawuleza ukuze ziye kwabo baziodileyo. Besebenzisa iinqwelwana ezirhuqwayo okanye ezityhalwayo iba nguwashiywa nowashiywa kwezo zitrato zimxinwa behambisa iintlanzi. Ekubeni bezitshova, zikhawuleza zenze isankxwe sengxolo. Kumntu obukeleyo, ibonakala ingumbhodamo. Kodwa, ziyalawulwa yaye zilungelelaniswe ngokungummangaliso. Ngeeyure nje ezingephi, iintlanzi ezingaphezu kweetoni eziliwaka sele zithengisiwe zaza zaya kufika kubaninizo. Ezinye iintlanzi zisiwa kwiivenkile ezincinane ezikwelinye icala lemarike yaye ziza kuthengiswa ekuseni kumawaka abathengi.
Njengoko unokuthelekelela, le Marike yaseTsukiji ngubhazabhaza. Kule marike kubhaliswe iinkampani ezisixhenxe ezinkulu nabarhwebi abancinane abangaphezu kwewaka ukuze bashishine kuyo. Unyaka wonke, bahlala bexakekile bethengisela abathengi abangama-40 000 ubuncinane abathenga kule marike yonke imihla.
Ngoobani abathengi? Abanye babo ngabo bathengela iihotele ezinkulu, iindawo zokutyela, neevenkile ezinkulu izixa ezikhulu. Kwakhona, kukwakho neevenkile ezincinane zokutya, neevenkile ezikude kufuphi ezithengisa iintlanzi, kwakunye nabanikazi beevenkile zakudala ezisenomtsalane ezithengisa isushi enengeniso engathethekiyo. Bonke aba bathengi bashiyana ngotyefezo befuna ezona ntlanzi zisemgangathweni. Kuqikelelwa ukuba ngonyaka bathenga iitoni ezimalunga nama-600 000 ezilwanyana zaselwandle ezityiwayo, ngemali engaphezu kwamawaka ezigidi ezingama-R36
ITsukiji asiyomarike ethengisa iintlanzi kuphela. Ikwangubhazabhaza wemarike othengisa iziqhamo nemifuno. Iyenye yeemarike ezili-11 ezikumbindi weTokyo ezisebenza ngaphantsi kukarhulumente. Imbali yale marike yokuthengisa ukutya okusandul’ ukuveliswa isusela emva phayaa ngowama-1603. Ukuze kuqinisekwe ukuba zazicocekile yaye zisemgangathweni, ngowe-1877 ezi marike zawela ngaphantsi kukarhulumente. Inyikima eyahlasela iTokyo ngowe-1923 yatshabalalisa iimarike zaseTokyo, yiloo nyikima eyakhokelela ekubeni kwakhiwe iMarike yaseTsukiji esekhoyo nanamhlanje, eyaqalisa ukusebenza ngowe-1935.
Ukususela ngoko, le marike iye yakhula kakhulu. Yiyiphi enye indawo ehlabathini ethengisa iintlanzi ezininzi kangaka neziziintlobo ngeentlobo yonke imihla? Kuqikelelwa ukuba iintlanzi ezinjengesalmon, icod, isea bream, imackerel, isole, iherring, isea urchin, isea cucumber neshellfish—ezahlukeneyo ezingama-450 ehlabathini lonke—zithengiswa apha. Zimbi iivenkile ezincinane emarikeni zithengisa uhlobo olunye kuphela lwentlanzi, ezinjengengwane (octopus) nenqonci (shrimp).
Noko ke, apha kukho eyona ntlanzi inkulu kuzo zonke. Le ntlanzi yituna enkulu ethunyelwa ngenqwelo-moya esuka kwiindawo ezikude njengakuLwandle lweMeditera naseMntla Merika. Ayikho enye intlanzi enokulingana nayo ngobukhulu okanye ngexabiso. Ituna enye enkulu inokubiza amawaka eerandi. Amakhulu etuna ezisandula ukubanjwa nezifakwe emkhenkceni zithengiswa apha yonke imihla. Abathengi bayayihlahlela ngobunono ituna ukwenzela oosomashishini basekuhlaleni. Umhlehlo obizwa ngokuba yitoro, othatyathwa ezimbanjeni, ekugqibeleni kuye kuphekwe ngawo isushi eluncuthu.
Akungommangaliso ke ngoko ukuba eyona marike inkulu ehlabathini ibe seJapan. Eli lizwe lijikelezwe lulwandlekazi, neelwandle ezintathu, yaye amaJapan kudala azithanda iintlanzi. Intlanzi kokona kutya kuthandwayo eJapan. Nyaka ngamnye, umntu waseJapan utya malunga nama-70 kg eentlanzi nezinye izilwanyana zaselwandle ezityiwayo, yaye inkoliso yazo ivela kwiMarike yaseTsukiji. Ukuba kunokwenzeka utyelele eTokyo, kutheni ungatheleli abanye abakhenkethi abatyelela eyona marike inkulu yeentlanzi ehlabathini?
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Fish artwork: From the book L’Art Pour Tous, Encyclopedie de l’Art Industriel et Decoratif, Vol. 31, 1861-1906
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James L. Stanfield/NGS Image Collection
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© Jeff Rotman/www.JeffRotman.com
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Courtesy of Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market