Due to the Movement Control Order (MCO), the government has imposed a strict limitation that only allowed ONE person from the family for grocery/ essential items purchases. And since then, you can notice men with a shopping list or be on a video call the entire time are flooded in the supermarket as all the "husbands" & "boyfriends" have started their adventure to the "bansan" and supermarket.
"EH, is this salmon fish ah?"
"This considers fresh?"
"Which one should I take ah?"
To make sure all the "husbands" & "boyfriends" can get the RIGHT items without being scolded and annoyed their significant half, I have prepared a shopping guide, just follow it and impress them!
Here’s what you need to know for your next seafood shopping trip.
For whole fish:-
Check the surroundings
Always look for clean well-drained ice that stored the seafood, ices with stains indicate that the ice is not properly handled and might be reused many times. Also, there should not be a strong fishy smell.
Photo by Steyn Viljoen from Pexels
Check the eyes for clarity
The first thing to do, check the eyes! Fresh seafood tends to have a crystal-clear, wet and shiny eyes, indicating you to "PICK ME".
Remember, avoid the seafood with dry and cloudy eyes as this indicates the seafood is not fresh or healthy,
Check the fins and gills
Look for the healthy-looking, wet and intact tails and fins. Avoid those that have torn, dry and brittle fins/ tails.
While for the gills, bright red and clean gills indicate healthy and fresh; dark color & sticky gills indicating the seafood is not that fresh.
Poke the flesh
Okay! Once you know your target, its time to get your hand dirty!
Try touching the fish to check the freshness. If you feel the springy or bouncy feel once your press the seafood, it's considered healthy and fresh. However, if it feels soft and like dead meat, you know what it means. (ZOMBIE SEAFOOD!!!)
Touch the scales
Shiny scales mean the seafood is very fresh, while the scales that look dry, flaky, and tend to slide off easily that the seafood might not be that fresh.
If you think buying a whole fish is too challenging, you can always go for fillets/ steaks. No extra cleaning needed, just open and cook it.
The flesh should be moist, glossy and firm; avoid those sticky, dry flesh.
For white-fleshed fish, such as cod, halibut, or bass, the meat should look fairly translucent as if you can almost see through it with no darkened areas or spots. Less fresh fish will looks cloudy and not transparent. For darker meat, like tuna or salmon, the flesh should be bright and very saturated in color.
The flesh should have a smooth surface; avoid those with cracks/ tears / separate flesh on its surface.
For shell seafood:
Prawn
The shells and the prawn head should be translucent with a clear color without any black edges / dark spots, the legs are intact and no strong seafood smell. While for cooked shrimps, the meat color should be white with red or pink tints, and meat should be firm.
Clams, oysters, or mussels
Look for those moist and tightly closed shells and avoid those cracked and opened shells. For oysters and muscles, choose the plump meat covered with clear/slightly milk liquor.
