Chatuchak Market in Bangkok, Thailand, which I have introduced many times in this column.
As I wrote in a previous column, Soi Pakat, where the betta shops where I usually got my ingredients were located, was destroyed by fire.
Unable to operate at their previous location due to the fire, the betta vendors have scattered and started operating at new locations in Chatuchak.
I've pretty much figured out where my familiar Betaya store has moved to, and I'm once again able to look for material as I did before.

It seems that Betaya is more able to attract customers when there are several shops gathered together rather than just one, and even in the new location there are four or five shops gathered together.
Among them you will see some completely new shops rather than the ones that were previously located on Soi Pakat.
I was shopping at a familiar shop, and while my fish was being packed I had some free time, so I decided to look into a new shop, and my eye was caught by a certain plastic cutlet.

This is the Silverback Plakat that I will introduce here.
Since these specimens are unique, they are often seen alone, but this shop had a rare display of about five very high-grade specimens.
Since this is my first time at the shop, I have no idea how much the fish cost.
I timidly asked the price of each one.

"Nee Tao Lai?" I asked in Thai rather than English.
In my experience, people tend to overcharge me when they realize I'm Japanese, so recently I've started using Thai when asking prices when shopping.
Well, it's probably obvious from my appearance and pronunciation that I'm not Thai, but it's a small act of protest.
When I asked the price, I was told it was more affordable than I expected, so I ended up buying all five of my favorites.
The reason there are so many specimens available is probably because the owner of this store has a discerning eye when it comes to purchasing betta fish.
I have a tendency to only check out familiar shops, but I've realized that it's also necessary to explore new places every now and then.
This store will definitely be a must-visit from now on.

The Silverback Placat that we are introducing this time is not a new variety, but a coloration that has been seen occasionally for quite some time.
It seems that new species of dragons sometimes appear, and they have not yet been established as a breed.
For this reason, there are surprisingly few individuals with a beautifully balanced silver color on their back, and the specimen we found this time is quite rare.
Many of these silverbacks seem to be descendants of black dragons or red dragons, but metal ones are also occasionally seen.

Their backs are silver, but some have a neat and tidy border with the color of the sides of their bodies, while others have slightly shiny scales that are messy, and it seems that no two individuals are exactly alike.
It is a beautiful and popular color, so selective breeding will likely lead to greater consistency in the future.