Ali, the Fish Monger

Fish Monger: a dealer or trader of fish

Another really cool benefit to living on our compound in Saudi Arabia is being able to enjoy the services of Ali the Fish Monger. Ali comes on camp to sell seafood to the residents here. And he doesn't just sit by the side of the road - he comes right to your door.

Ali usually calls up out of the blue. He describes what type of seafood he has available in the dirty styrofoam coolers that fill the back of his rusty truck and if I'm interested, he comes right over. I've never been one to buy food from door to door salesmen, especially ones that drive rusty trucks. Not that I've had a lot of them, apart from the Schwan's frozen food man and this one time some guy was selling steaks out of the back of his car (that one still puzzles me). But I was eased into Ali's services gently...

One day Julia called up and asked if I was interested in buying some really nice, big shrimp. She'd have them cleaned and deveined for me, and put into whatever size ziplock bags I wanted. And all of this for an amazingly dirt cheap price. I leaped at the chance and arranged for six pounds of shrimp. Sure to her word, she dropped by 6 bags of beautiful, cleaned shrimp later that afternoon. When I asked her where she came by this housewife's dream, with a little grin she simply replied, "Ali. Don't worry - I'll get you hooked up." It felt like a drug deal.

And over time, it actually has become a bit of an addiction. I hate buying seafood at the store now. Ali's seafood is usually better quality, at a better price, AND he cleans / deveins / fillets however I want it done. I know you are thinking that the guy at the supermarket fish counter can do the same thing. Sure, if he speaks English. And that's a BIG if here.