How to tell if your fish is fresh

So you’re at the fish market and you’re feeling a bit intimidated and scared about how to pick out your fish. Nobody wants to get their guests sick.

But really, fish shopping is not all that complicated.

Here are a few tips on what to look for in order to make your fish shopping experience a lot less, well…fishy:

1. Stiffness: After death, just like humans, fish experience rigor mortis. If your fish is stiff, it’s probably pretty fresh.
2. Skin: The skin should be brilliant and bright. If the skin of the fish is dull, leave it be.
3. Slime: Your fish’s skin should be slimy (except if you find slime on the gills).
4. Gills: So we know that slimy gills are a bad sign. Your gills should be firm, red and not slimy.
5. Eyes: Should be bright and clear.
6. Smell: Your fish should smell like the ocean, like salty air. If it smells fishy, skip it.
7. Fillets: The color of your fillets should be brilliant and the meat should be firm and smooth.