Top 5 Tips For Choosing Quality Seafood

November 21, 2019

Buying seafood can be a challenge if you don't know exactly what to look for. Here are our top 5 tips for choosing quality seafood:

1. Fresh Over Frozen
2. Busy Store, Fresher Product
3. Buy Whole
4. Avoid Countries With Bad Farming and Fishing Practices
5. Colour Can Be Deceiving

Let's expand on each of the points to learn more.

1. The games that can be played with glaze, weight, chemical treatments can’t be done easily with fresh seafood. Whenever possible, opt for fresh products. Fresh is best. Although for items like shrimp and lobster, freezing and thawing doesn’t impact the taste and texture in any noticeable way if done correctly.
2. A store that does brisk sales and has a lot of products coming in and being sold is a store whose products don’t have a chance to get old. If you’re in an area that lacks a busy fish market or busy fish department in a grocery store, finding quality, fresh seafood may prove to be impossible.
3. A grocery store or fish market that gets its products whole or in whole loins is better than one that receives its seafood products pre-cut. This is because of oxidization. When you cut a fish and the flesh is exposed, that exposed flesh immediately begins to oxidize. The oxidization process is what makes a fish lose its freshness, taste, texture, and nutritional content. Try to buy from places that have their seafood displayed in whole form and where you can see them filet/cut it in front of you.
4. Though individual fishermen and suppliers may be good, countries like China and India generally still struggle with bad farming and fishing practices. From overfishing, to environmental destruction caused by factor farms, to poor hygienic practices, be wary of products from these countries—especially frozen seafood products.
5. When buying seafood on display, colour can be maintained through the use of chemical additives like tasteless smoke. So colour isn’t a good criterion when determining whether or not something is fresh. Instead, look for cues like if the product is slimy or has any greasy film on it. Ex. presence of a white, translucent skin on top of it. It can be greasy yet also dry. A dry, old fish won’t look firm and has flesh that’s beginning to come apart at the muscle fibers. Ask to smell the fish where possible. Fresh fish should smell faintly of the ocean and should not have a strong pungent, fishy, or ammonia-like smell.

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