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The experience of choosing to buy fresh fish by observing the fish’s gills is no longer appropriate. With current marinating techniques, some fish sellers know how to make fish gills bright red.
Chef Nguyen Thanh Tung – Golden Palace restaurant (Placace Saigon hotel) shared: “River or sea fish is still fresh, when pressed on the fish will feel its elasticity. The fish’s eyes are slightly convex and the lens is still transparent. A small but very effective tip used by many chefs and housewives to choose fresh fish is to observe the small hole located below the fish’s belly (the fish’s anus). ). If the fish is still fresh, the fish’s anus will be very small. On the contrary, when the anus has expanded, the fish has decomposed, is no longer fresh and is at risk of being marinated with preservatives.
The most common way to distinguish between farmed fish and farmed fish is that the farmed fish looks larger than the field fish. The field snakehead fish has dark black color, slightly rough skin, head larger than the body, and when cut open, the intestines are small and have no fat. Like snakehead fish, copper eels have big heads and long tails. The skin on their backs is often earthy yellow, and the skin under their abdomens is shiny yellow or yellow with flower spots.
In contrast, eels have small heads and short tails. To avoid chemicals in fish, many people choose to buy copper fish with the notion that copper fish will be “clean” because it does not eat “chemicals”. But according to Mr. Thanh Tung, this concept is no longer true. Fish raised in reputable facilities are still safe because they must follow strict inspection procedures.
Meanwhile, sources of field fish and river fish in many places may still be contaminated with toxic chemicals from polluted water sources and wastewater… In addition, to deceive buyers, some sellers also introduce farmed fish. Small fish are copper fish, this is also something to keep in mind when going to the market.
Shrimp is also a nutritious dish, easy to prepare and suitable for many ages. The best choice is still to buy live shrimp. But in many markets, many people still sell dead shrimp with the explanation that the shrimp is suffocated or the shrimp is just dead. These types of shrimp are cheaper than live shrimp. “Stuffed shrimp and fresh shrimp have their heads attached to their bodies. The shrimp body is firm, the shrimp head and shell are glossy green. Note, the fresher the shrimp, the harder it is to peel. Absolutely do not buy shrimp whose head is black or not attached to the body because this is a sign that the shrimp is old, the shrimp brick has decomposed and discolored” – advised chef Thanh Tung.
Similarly, fresh squid has white, shiny flesh with elasticity. Marinated squid also feels fresh when handled because the meat is hard, but when washed, the squid will turn yellow and the body will become soft. This is ink that has been dead for too long and is marinated with a lot of chemicals to deceive buyers. Absolutely do not eat this type of squid to avoid poisoning or accumulation of more toxic chemicals in the body.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Animal Health, the way to evaluate the freshness of meat according to Vietnamese standards TCVN 4834 – 89 is: pork is light pink to red, fat is white to pink. Buffalo meat is light red to dark red, fat is cream to light yellow. The flesh is firm and elastic when pressed with fingers. The meat broth is clear, has a characteristic aroma and taste, and has a greasy residue. Based on his experience, Mr. Thanh Tung said: “Meat is not safe when there is mucus leaking out, it is mushy and has no elasticity. The meat has a smell and some spots turn green, which is a sign that the meat has gone rancid. Particularly for meat that is super lean, the fibers are short, smooth, and the firmness is poor because fatty tissue turns into lean tissue. The meat has little fat, is lean close to the skin, and the cut surface on the meat fibers is not smooth.
Green vegetables are very important and help make meals more delicious. However, the general recommendation is to limit eating raw vegetables. Ultraviolet vegetable washing machines are not 100% safe. Washing vegetables under continuously running water and soaking in salt water can only remove the amount of fertilizer and pesticide residue left on the leaves. Bacteria such as cholera and E.coli can withstand salt water concentrations up to 20%. Spiced vegetables (cilantro, braised vegetables, cilantro…) also need to be washed under running water and soaked in salt water like washing green vegetables before seasoning dishes.
In the current situation, it is best to choose to buy food from branded, reputable supermarkets and stores. If going to traditional markets, housewives should go early to choose fresh food. Choose to buy meat from reputable stalls at the market, pork has the green mark of the veterinary department on the skin. Absolutely do not buy cheap, floating products to avoid sources of diseased food or marinated with many preservative chemicals.
