Md. Ahasan Habib :
Bangladesh is a riverine country and we Bengali depends more on fish items from ancient time. Fish is delicate and lovely and can be easily transformed into so many dishes The first step in preparing any recipe or dish is getting the best ingredients. Once you ensure that, you’re on your way to making the best fish curry.
The most important characteristic of a fish is its freshness and the freshest fish is the one that has just been caught or which is properly stored. Fish is a perishable product. Many people who did not know the name of fish properly.Sometimes it is very difficult for them to buy good quality fish.
It is highly important to get yourself familiar with this so you will be able to buy good fish for your family and to offer to your guests the best quality dishes at your place. There are some basic rules that you need to follow while buying fish and making sure that it is fresh. Read this and prepare yourself for shopping.
See the eyes:
The eyes are the window to a truly fresh fish. This is perhaps one of the best ways to check if your fish is fresh or not. The eyes of the fish can tell you a lot about its freshness. The eyes should be bulging, shiny and clear.
There should be no cloudiness present. If the eyes are sunken into the head it suggest that the fish is old. Always look for bright, clear eyes.
Check the gills:
If it is a whole fish, the gills should be bright pink or reddish in colour. They should also be slightly wet and not slimy or dry.
Belly of a fresh fish
The belly should shiny and undamaged, and the anal opening is tight. Anal opening of old and bad fish sticks out and is yellow-brown in color.
Slime
Slime is equally distributed over the fish, it is clear and odorless. With bleeding, slime gets increased, murky and dirty and has a sour smell. Slime in live and fresh fish is moist, must be unharmed and have a naturally metallic glow.
Sniff the fish:
Fresh fish should not smell but should have a mild scent. It is best to avoid fish that has a strong, fishy odour or a sour smell.
The smell of the fish is specific to the sea or river from where it has been caught. It is natural and pleasant. Fish that is old or spoiled has a pungent and sharp smell of trimethylamine – an organic compound released from rotting fish.
Look for firm flesh and scale:
The flesh of the fish should bounce back on touching it. The skin has a natural metallic glow and should not look dull. The surface of the skin must be tight and the scales might be tightly attached. Soft, grey, loose scales and inelastic fish is old or bad. Discoloration and cracked skin are signs of rotting fish.
Bangladesh is a riverine country and we Bengali depends more on fish items from ancient time. Fish is delicate and lovely and can be easily transformed into so many dishes The first step in preparing any recipe or dish is getting the best ingredients. Once you ensure that, you’re on your way to making the best fish curry.
The most important characteristic of a fish is its freshness and the freshest fish is the one that has just been caught or which is properly stored. Fish is a perishable product. Many people who did not know the name of fish properly.Sometimes it is very difficult for them to buy good quality fish.
It is highly important to get yourself familiar with this so you will be able to buy good fish for your family and to offer to your guests the best quality dishes at your place. There are some basic rules that you need to follow while buying fish and making sure that it is fresh. Read this and prepare yourself for shopping.
See the eyes:
The eyes are the window to a truly fresh fish. This is perhaps one of the best ways to check if your fish is fresh or not. The eyes of the fish can tell you a lot about its freshness. The eyes should be bulging, shiny and clear.
There should be no cloudiness present. If the eyes are sunken into the head it suggest that the fish is old. Always look for bright, clear eyes.
Check the gills:
If it is a whole fish, the gills should be bright pink or reddish in colour. They should also be slightly wet and not slimy or dry.
Belly of a fresh fish
The belly should shiny and undamaged, and the anal opening is tight. Anal opening of old and bad fish sticks out and is yellow-brown in color.
Slime
Slime is equally distributed over the fish, it is clear and odorless. With bleeding, slime gets increased, murky and dirty and has a sour smell. Slime in live and fresh fish is moist, must be unharmed and have a naturally metallic glow.
Sniff the fish:
Fresh fish should not smell but should have a mild scent. It is best to avoid fish that has a strong, fishy odour or a sour smell.
The smell of the fish is specific to the sea or river from where it has been caught. It is natural and pleasant. Fish that is old or spoiled has a pungent and sharp smell of trimethylamine – an organic compound released from rotting fish.
Look for firm flesh and scale:
The flesh of the fish should bounce back on touching it. The skin has a natural metallic glow and should not look dull. The surface of the skin must be tight and the scales might be tightly attached. Soft, grey, loose scales and inelastic fish is old or bad. Discoloration and cracked skin are signs of rotting fish.
(Md. Ahasan Habib is an undergraduate student of Dept. of Fisheries and Marine Science, NSTU).
