Fish And Seafood

What is seafood

Seafood is any variety of critter harvested from the oceans, including fish, tuna, salmon, mackerel, mahi mahi and shark, the crustaceans: shrimp, lobster, crab, and the rest: scallops, mussels, oysters and clams. Fish includes products caught or farmed n fresh water like trout, bass and catfish.

Supermarkets are not always the best places to buy fish and seafood. Most of the seafood sold there has been frozen and is displayed in the case, slowly thawing out and losing freshness and flavor. Specialty markets with solid reputations for quality are the better bets. Signs to look for in any market are cleanliness and smell. If the display cases look like ancient Egyptian artifacts and the place smells like a fish market that has seen better days, go elsewhere.

Develop a personal relationship with a fishmonger

A fishmonger, or specialist, is a trained specialist who knows the different types, characteristics, how to prepare and what to look for when buying. Ask him or her how his product arrives if you live in a land-locked state and how fresh his product is. Seafood shipped is often frozen, and freezing affects taste and texture.

How to judge fish and seafood freshness

Fish has a very short shelf life and you’ll need to judge product by appearance and smell. Fish product should be free of imperfections, rips and tears, with eyes that are not glassy but translucent. The flesh should be firm and unyielding, not mushy to the touch. Fresh fish will have a brighter, cleaner taste. Fish 1-3 days “old” are good choices, but anything older than that and the fish deteriorates. That’s why smell is a good indicator of freshness. If it smells fishy, the product has deteriorated and is worth considerably less, if anything at all.

Many fishing boats freeze fish immediately after harvest, or as soon as possible after it’s caught. Fish frozen abord ships is better than previously frozen fish in seafood display cases.

Mollusks such as oysters, clams and mussels should have closed lids. Open shells is a sign that the animal has died, and is no longer fresh. Lobsters are frequently kept alive in tanks with rubber-banded claws that you can choose for dinner. Again, ask your fishmonger for tips about selecting. Ditto for crab. Frozen crabs and crap parts should be selected for color. If crab or crab parts looks likes it’s seen better days, it probably has.

Types of fish and seafood products

Federal seafood-labeling law requires vendors to disclose country of origin and whether the product was wild or farmed.

• Fresh - Raw, has never been frozen, cooked and is preservative-free. Fish stored aboard ship must be kept at temperatures just above freezing, and is considered fresh even if its been down in the hold even for a few weeks, then transported by truck for another few days. Farmed fish is even fresher because this product goes from farm to market in just a few days or less depending upon the location of the farms.

• Previously frozen - Frozen seafood that has been thawed for sale.

• Fresh or flash frozen - Seafood frozen while it's still fresh.

• Farmed - Fish farming is a growing industry providing about 30% of all seafood and fish. Oysters, clams, mussels, tilapia, catfish and trout are common varieties of farmed products. “Farmed” means that the fish or seafood are raised in controlled conditions and fed by the growers. The FDA regulates what additives can be fed to farmed seafood and fish raise din controlled environment tanks.

Where to buy online

• FreshSeafood.com will deliver Pacific Northwest octopus, oysters and mussels to you overnight.

• Charleston Seafood offers fresh ocean fish and shellfish and freshwater fish.

• Gorton's of Gloucester, a familiar frozen food aisle brand also ships fresh seafood across the U.S.

• Yahoo Online Seafood Search