Seafood has gained more popularity in recent years (thanks to its awesome taste and high nutritional values). But there is no denying that seafood tastes amazing in whichever form you serve. Let it be a starter, a main course dish, curry form, or simply the fried form. This specific taste is becoming more popular, especially in the fast-casual settings. However, most of the people have opted for this option due to high health reason.
Whatever your reason is for opting to buy fresh seafood, it only tastes good and has high nutritional value if had fresh. And all those people who have just opted to the seafood delicacy would not be aware of the tricks of buying seafood. So, here are a few tips to help you in selecting and buying the proper, fresh seafood.
Buy Them While They Are Still Alive
Seafood is mostly enjoyed as appetizers, especially the clams and mussels. You should buy these while they are still alive, and this will assure you the highest level of freshness and nutritional values. The clam or a mussel is alive it the shell is tightly closed. You can check them while buying clam and mussel by tapping their shell open and seeing if they close the lid quickly. Apart from this, fresh clam and mussel give a sweet aroma that can assure the freshness of the animal. However, if you are buying crabs or lobsters then check the leg movements of the crabs and tail movement of the lobster. These are the sign of them still being alive. After you make your purchase, it is important to store them on ice in approx. 34 to 40 degrees F. This is because if not done so, the meat will spoil very quickly.
Check Eyes
Another way of checking for the freshness of the seafood, especially the fish is by seeing their eyes. The eyes of the fish immediately give away its freshness compared to other methods. The eyes of the fish should be plump, wet, and bright; this shows the freshness of the fish. Whereas, if the eyes of the fish are dull and cloudy, then you need to avoid the buying of that fish. Normally, eyes are the first thing to go when the fish starts deteriorating. So, it the fish has murky looking eyes, then there are more chances of a foul fish. The eyes may also start to sink or shrivel, which means do not eat this fish.
Feel the Freshness
Once you have checked the eyes, do not forget to see the remaining fish. Checking the entire fish is as important as checking the eyes for freshness. Firstly, hold the fish in your hand and lightly poke it, you should feel cold, wet flesh that is not sticky. In addition, the flesh shouldn’t stay as it is when poked, it needs to spring back in a few seconds. Then check the gills. As a rule of thumb, the brighter the color of the gills means the fresher the fish. But apart from color, also make sure that the gills are not too slimy. Similarly, the scales should be shiny and firmly attached to the fish. Soft scales loosely falling off are the indication of an old fish.
Use Your Smelling Sense
Identifying fresh fish needs more than just touching and seeing, you need to follow your nose too. While buying clams, mussels, or any other shellfish, the smell should be sweet and pleasant. However, shrimps and crabs have a particularly mild aroma while fresh. If the smell is strong, then there are more chances of it being old and not suitable for buying. Fish fillets will only smell bad if they are already spoiled, or else even they should have a mild odor. This way different kinds of seafood have different smells, but you shall understand it with experience and time.
These are some of the most important tips while buying seafood for yummiest taste and nutrition too. However, if you are not sure about going to the store and buying, then you can simply order the premium seafood in Bangkok by logging into one of the genuine seafood websites. This way you shall avail fresh and high-quality seafood each time right at your doorsteps.
