Many people get confused when they go to the market to buy fish. They can’t be sure even pressing a fish by finger. Lot of time may be spent in indecision. Here are easy tips to identify fresh fish.
Rely on the nose
This may seem a little uncomfortable. However, it is quite useful to identify fresh fish. If possible, take the fish near the nose and smell it. If it is fresh fish, you will not get any special smell. If you have fresh fish from the river or the sea, you can smell some algae water. But it will not be sour or bitter. And if you get a strong fishy smell, you should understand that the fish is stale even if it is not completely rotten. It will rot after some time. This smell will remain even after cooking.
Eyes don’t lie
Look at the fish’s eyes before touching it to identify if it is fresh or not. The eyes of fresh fish will be bright and shiny. The whiter and more cloudy the eyes, the more likely it is that the fish will rot soon.
Skin examination
The exterior texture of the fresh fish will be quite shiny and metalic. The skin of the stale fish will be pale. Again, if you rub the fresh fish hard with your hands, the scales will not come off easily. Finally, like many, try to press the fish. If the skin bounces back promptly, then the fish is fresh. If it is rotten, it will remain dent or it will take time to level up.
Gill color
Vendors are always eager to show off fresh fish gill by hand. Fresh fish’s gill’s color will look wet. And if it is stale, the color will look dried. Check again with your finger, the color may be fake as well. The color of fresh fish’s gill is usually dark red or maroon.