200 Rufiyaa for Grouper + Rat Grouper, Saved by Liupo Chili Powder

Male’s early morning carries a lazy saltiness—after the 5 AM mosque call, motorbikes haven’t started their rumble yet. We wandered to the fish market, hoping to "snag a deal early." At 9 AM, the market wasn’t bustling; vendors slowly laid out iced seafood, plastic basins holding tuna and snapper glistening silver. Then we spotted a foam box in the corner: a half-meter-long grouper with gills flaring, its vibrant red stripes shining in the morning light, beside it a medium-sized rat grouper. The vendor gestured "200 Rufiyaa" (≈¥100) in Dhivehi, instantly chasing away drowsiness 🤩. 🐟 The Steal: The Market’s Only Grouper, Price Too Good to Bargain "This just came in this morning, only these two," a Chinese-speaking guy (smiled) to explain. The grouper’s flesh was firm, eyes bright as glass beads; the rat grouper’s patterns had a quiet luxury. In Maldivian seafood markets, such freshness is rare, and the 200 Rufiyaa total felt like "the vendor quoted while half-asleep"—after all, a single grouper at a resort would cost hundreds of dollars 💰. . Carrying the heavy bag up to the market’s second floor, our steps felt light with "found treasure" glee. 🍳 Cooking Fail: 80 Rufiyaa for Steaming, Tasteless as "Boiled White Meat" Upstairs, we picked a clean-looking restaurant, ordering "both steamed"—fresh seafood deserves simple cooking, right? After 20 minutes, the plate arrived and we froze: the grouper and rat grouper were neatly arranged, sprinkled with scallions, but no sauce at all. The flesh clung tightly to bones; a chopstickful tasted as bland as unsalted water, with just a faint fishy tang 😐. "Did you forget ginger and scallions?" we asked. The waiter smiled, saying "traditional style." After two bites, we put down chopsticks—this wasn’t "steamed," it was "boiled then drained," wasting perfect fish 😅. A friend suddenly remembered: "I have Liupo chili powder in my bag!" We sprinkled half a bag; the chili aroma mixed with Sichuan peppercorn heat, finally "saving" the fish’s freshness 🌶️🥳. We gnawed the bones clean, sighing: "Should’ve had one grilled, one steamed—grilled crispness would’ve covered the blandness." 💡 Lessons Learned: 3 Tips for Buying Fish at the Market Early bird catches the best：Arrive before 9 AM for (just-landed) "premium fish"; later, only common species remain, possibly overpriced 🌅. Choose cooking methods wisely：Don’t trust "steamed"—local steaming is more like "boiling." Try one grilled (with butter and pepper), one spicy stir-fried, to bring out flavor 🍳. Bring your own seasonings：Liupo chili powder, Laoganma—these "bold flavor saviors" are lifesavers for Chinese palates unused to blandness 🧂. Leaving, the vendor laid out new lobsters on ice. Sun filtered through the market’s tin roof, casting spots on the fish. Getting two expensive fish for 200 Rufiyaa was a joy, but cooking let us down—yet this "imperfection" made Male’s morning memorable 😊. Next time, we’ll gesture "more ginger, scallions, garlic" to the restaurant, bring a full bag of chili powder, and let grouper freshness dance with Sichuan spice in our mouths. #MaleFishMarket #GrouperFeast #MaldivesSeafoodGuide #MaleLocalVibes #SeafoodCookingFails