Shopping for Fresh Fish and Friends At The Right Market

Everyone knows freshness is essential to good eating. From lettuce to chicken to bread, the freshness of our food is directly linked to its quality. With fish, freshness is even more important. So, its very important to know how to buy fresh fish.

There are health benefits to eating fish and seafood on a regular basis, whether it is wild or farmed. Studies show that people who eat seafood at least once per week significantly lower their risk of heart disease and stroke.

Fish are fragile creatures, and their quality begins to deteriorate within minutes of being hauled from the water. That's why being able to choose the freshest fish in the market is tantamount to choosing the best.

Seafoods, like many other foods, are perishable and must be handled properly to avoid spoilage and the possibility of food poisoning.

How do I know I am going to the right place?

Choosing fresh fish can be tricky, since most of the fish we buy is already cut up into fillets and steaks. While this makes cooking fish a snap, it also means that we need to pay attention before we buy. Here are some guidelines for helping you choose the freshest catch in the market.

Choosing where to purchase your fish is every bit as important as choosing which fish to buy.

Whether you shop at a specialty seafood shop or in the neighborhood supermarket, make sure that it's a place with a high turnover.

Sometimes a gourmet seafood store, even if they have dozens of varieties for sale, isn't as good a choice as the corner market, simply because fewer people may shop there.

If you shop at a place with a lot of traffic, you are guaranteed a high turnover, which almost always guarantees fresh fish. On the other hand, just because your supermarket does a bustling business in every other department doesn't mean they sell a lot of fish.

A good way to tell is simply to watch the seafood counter while you shop. Is it crowded? Are other shoppers looking carefully over the refrigerator case, being choosy about what they take home to their families? Crowds, especially discriminating ones, can be a good sign.

Presentation is key.

Are the fish beautifully (or at least neatly) displayed and surrounded by ice?

The little plastic signs which list the price per pound should be stuck into the ice (or a lemon half if the store is fancy) next to the fish, not into the fish itself. The counter and surrounding areas should be sparkling clean, without pools of murky liquid collecting. Pools of murky liquid are also bad signs when collecting underneath the fish.

Is your fish store a good one?

Watch the counter people in action. How are they handling your dinner?

Are they carelessly flopping the fish into the wrapping, holding the steaks or fillets by a thin edge (which can tear the flesh), or dangling your snapper by the tail? Fish are not as hardy as chickens, and need easy handling (although you probably wouldn't want your butcher lifting your chicken by its drumstick, either).

Odor is also a telltale indicator.

When you walk into a fish store or approach the fish counter if you're in a supermarket, are you greeted with the crisp clean scent of salt and ice?

This is what you should smell. If the air is at all rank, vaguely foul, or even somewhat less than fresh, something could be amiss. If this is the case where you buy your fish, think about changing venues.

Checking out the Merchandise

Once you've chosen your market of choice, choosing which fish is the freshest should be as easy as asking the fishmonger. Spending a little time talking with him or her will help you make an informed choice.

Find out the fish's history. Where and when did the fishmonger buy the fish? Was it caught locally or shipped in from elsewhere? Has the fish been frozen? (Previously frozen fish cannot be refrozen.) Obviously the longer the fish has been out of the water, the less likely it will be fresh.