Get the best from your favorite fish.

Dr Abe V Rotor

Living with Nature - School on Blog
Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air) with Ms Melly C Tenorio

738 DZRB AM, 8 to 9 Evening Class, Monday to Friday [www.pbs.gov.ph]

Different fish species in the market. How many can your identify?

Bangus – Choose one with fat belly, one-kilo size is best. If the lower tail fin is shorter than the upper one, it is the famous Bonoan (Dagupan) bangus.

Tilapia – Get those with thick and supple body. Three pieces to a kilo is best.

Catfish (hito) – Always buy the fish live. Yellowish belly means it is fat.

Mudfish or snakehead (dalag) – Always buy it live. Yellow to bright orange belly means it is fat, and the female may be carrying eggs.

Carp – Sometimes called Imelda, the head is fat and fleshy. When buying the chopped fish, get the head and middle part.

Tahong (Green Mussel) -  Take heed of the Red Tide warning.  Don't take the risk of eating tahong, talaba, halaan and other marine shell fish when the seasonal Red Tide is declared in your area by the Department of Health, and the Department of Local Government. Red Tide poisoning is caused by microscopic dinoflagellates that bloom in the estuary and cove, especially during summer and start of the rainy season. Pry open and see if it is fatty. It must have a clean, fresh smell. Reject if it emits even the slightest foul or oil odor.

Oysters - Get freshly gathered oysters. Ask the vendor to pry open a sample to check if it is full and fatty. Use your olfactory sense.Reject if you sense foul odor. This is true with all shellfish including freshwater snail (kuhol and suso) and clam (kappo Ilk).

Crab (Alimango) – Female crabs even if they are more expensive make the best buy. They have more fat (aligi) especially during New Moon than the males. This is true with talangka or freshwater crabs, shrimps, lobsters and crayfish.

Prawn – Freshly caught prawns are translucent. Reject if the head or cephalothorax is discolored, all the more if it is severed, and unpleasant odor detected.

Marine fish – Dynamited fish invariably have eyes, abdomen, scale and flesh battered by the blast. Report to nearest authority the presence of such fish.

Anchovies – It has a very short shelf life, and must be preserved in ice. Many people eat it raw (kilawin) when newly caught, with ginger, onion, and tomato. The best recipes are tamales (wrapped in banana leaves with ginger and salt), and torta (fried with egg). Anchovies are made into dilis and fishmeal.

And remember these tips when it comes to buying processed food products.