- Quality in fresh fish is determined by the condition of the skin which should be shiny and of good colour.
- In white fish, the flesh should be really white, not faintly yellow.
- The body should be rather heavy in relation to the length, and the flesh plump and springy.
- Eyes should be bright and not sunken.
- Gills should be red.
- For freshness, the fish should have a pleasant, slightly salty smell, while stale fish has an ammoniac odour, which increases with its staleness.
- If the imprint of the fingers remain after it has been pressed, then it is not fresh.
- If the scales come out themselves, then the fish is stale.
- Raw flesh should not come away from the bones, as it is the sign of the fish deterioration.
- The tail should be stiff.
Fish should be store at 1°C.
