Episode date: Length: 1 min 14 s
Page published: · Last checked:
Is chicken soaked in water to raise its weight and price? The Mukhtar went to the Bab Srijeh market, where Damascus families shop every week, and asked sellers.
The short answer
A seller in Bab Srijeh said soaking chicken in water with ice adds weight, and just washing a piece added about 50 grams. Fresh chicken is pink and smells normal; avoid dark colour and an odd smell. In September 2025 wings cost about $1.9 a kilo (220 new Syrian pounds).
One seller said some put chicken in water with ice on top, which adds weight. He tried it on camera: washing alone added about 50 grams.
How do you spot fresh chicken?
Fresh chicken is pink. A darker colour and an odd smell are bad signs.
How much does chicken cost?
Prices mentioned per kilo: wings about $1.9 (220 new pounds), drumsticks about $2.2 (250 pounds), breast fillet about $4.8 (540 pounds).
Tip before you buy
Ask about weight before and after washing, check colour and smell, and buy from a seller you know.
Questions people ask
Is chicken soaked in water to add weight?
A seller in Bab Srijeh said some soak it in water with ice; washing alone added about 50 grams to a piece.
How do I spot fresh chicken?
It is pink and smells normal. A dark colour and odd smell are bad signs.
How much is chicken breast in Damascus?
About $4.8 a kilo (540 new Syrian pounds) in Bab Srijeh, September 2025.
We ask sellers in the market and record every price with its date, in US dollars and new Syrian pounds. How we work
The Mukhtar Al Souq team: produced by Ahmad Nahas (the show on his site) · written by Ahmad Nahas, Mazen Shbib, Ranim Shabani and Dania Halbouni · edited by Abdulrahman Al-Nassar and Abdulrahman Mulla · graphics by Wael Fayyad
The truth from the market, for the people