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Fish market

Although the fish market is the best place to buy fresh fish, this does not mean that you can simply walk to the market and expect to get a great fish without knowing what you are doing. For the best fish, you should do the following:

• Go by looks – Choosing a fish is not completely unlike choosing a spouse. The one thing that should attract you to it initially is how it looks. Whichever looks best, probably will be the best to choose. If you are shopping for a whole fish, look for one that has glistening skin and bright red gills. If your potential spouse includes these features, you better not propose just yet.

• Take a closer look – Ask if you can touch the fish at the fish market. When you poke a fresh fish with your finger, the flesh of it should quickly spring back into place. The flesh of fish that is not fresh kind of just stays there.

• Smell the fish – The fish should smell like saltwater. It should not smell like “fish” per se. This means that the smell of the fish should not overpower you or smell gross.

• Look to see how shellfish are opened – If you ask for a seller at the fish market to open shellfish for you, pay special attention to how much energy they need to exert in order to do so. If they are prying open clams, oysters, or mussels, it should be a difficult process that requires a little exertion since fresh shellfish are difficult to open.

Following these guidelines while at the fish market will help increase the likelihood that you will get a nice cut of fish.