Fish refers to perishable foods, so you should be very picky in your choice. Only from high-quality fresh fish you can cook delicious and healthy dishes. Fish contains vitamins, minerals, protein and fatty acids, it strengthens the immune system, reduces stress, improves the condition of hair, skin, teeth and nails. In general, without fish your home menu will be incomplete, so you need to know how to choose a good fish in the store or on the market. Do not put too much trust to manufacturers and retailers, who sometimes go to great lengths to dispose of unsold product.

First of all, smell the fish, raising the gills, and trust your sense of smell. Fresh fish usually has no fishy smell, and smells of the sea and mud. Vivid fish smell is a reason to doubt in the freshness of the product. Moreover, if you smell ammonia, then, unfortunately, the shelf life of fish has passed long ago. The scales should be moist, not dry and brittle, and if it has cracks, it means that the fish is clearly stayed on the counter for too long. Dry and slightly bent tail is a sign of staleness of fish products.

Be sure to have a look at the eyes of the fish - they are usually prominent and clear, while gills should be bright pink and red. If the fish began to deteriorate, gills darken immediately. The exception is with sturgeon gills of red-burgundy color. If the fish was often frozen and thawed, its gills will be gray. Sometimes gills of stale fish stick together, covered with mucus. These symptoms are so obvious that should not be even checked. That is why, it is recommended to buy fish with head, despite the fact that you have to pay extra for the extra weight. Too high is the probability of buying stale products.

To make sure, you can lead a test for elasticity, pressing the belly of a fish: it should not be pitted. If to put the fish on your palm, it will lie flat, while the tail and head of fish, which began to grow dim, will hang sadly. There should be no stains on the fish, and the thin film of mucus should be pleasant for the touch. If you take a fish head and tail at the same time it will begin to bend, high-quality fresh fish will be good to bend, and "battered" fish may break.

Following these simple tips, you will have an opportunity to take care of your health and choose fresh fish, which will be beneficial for your health.