8. New types of seafood were introduced to NYC through the Market
Throughout the history of the Fulton Fish Market, changing technologies and advancements in refrigeration helped fish sellers expand their business. Better preservation and refrigeration methods helped sellers acquire different varieties of fish from places further and further away from New York City. They could send the fish further as well. Ice start to be heavily used at the market in 1846. Before this, the market largely served locals and fish were always live. With the increasing availability and affordability of ice, along with the nation’s growing railroad network, Fulton Market fish sellers could send their fish to other cities.
Being able to source fish from far away meant that the Market’s sellers were able to introduce New Yorkers to fish they had never tried before. Some of the seafood that the market made popular in New York City included sea scallops, pompano, grouper, and red snapper. Red snapper, which came from the Gulf of Mexico, was introduced to the Market by Eugene Blackford in he 1870s. Today, you can order akk kinds of fresh fish from the Fulton Fish Market online.
