by Drew Woodson

Created on: November 28, 2008

At Haymarket in Boston, the vendors yell at you if you are too friendly with the merchandise, and they do not take kindly to the suggestion that their merchandise might not be the freshest available. So how can one be sure that the fish is fresh? Talk, look, and smell.

Talk

In a market environment, it might be hard to communicate across a bed of ice and fish, but one can learn a lot from talking to the vendors. Rather than asking them directly if a particular fish is fresh. Ask, "What's fresh today?" and let them advise you. While some might argue that they will just point you to what they are trying to sell, I find most vendors want to sell fish they are proud. Especially, if you frequent the same market, ask questions and make your face known to the people who sell. Also, ask the same question at multiple counters. Many sellers use the same suppliers and a catch that comes in for one, might come in for many.

Look

While it is impossible to tell if a fish is fresh just from looking at it. A lot of information can be gained from observing people near the fish. Look around at what other people are buying. Chefs and other knowledgeable customers are common at markets. If you see someone buying red snapper by the arm full, it might be a good day for snapper. Watch how vendors interact with their catch. A fresh catch sells itself. If a vendor is rearranging, garnishing, or otherwise dressing up a fish, steer clear. I have seen vendors prod their crabs to keep them moving. I have seen them take fish off their ice and throw them straight into the garbage. If you see a vendor who has to work hard to sell his fish, it means he does not have a customer base that trusts him. And you may not want to be the first.

Smell

For some, smelling the freshness of the fish is easy. For others a fresh fish hardly smells different from one that will soon be at the bottom of a garbage can. Let's modify the old adage, Fresh fish doesn't smell. Fresh fish doesn't smell bad. It has an odor but that odor should not be un-appetizing. It should smell like sea water and salt and, yes, like fish, but it should not smell like chlorine, bait, or the Boston harbor. The trouble with a market environment is that there is always bad fish somewhere, so to properly smell a fish you must ask to hold it and get your nose up to the fish. For that, you must talk to the vendor and be sure to read his reaction. Remember, a seller should be proud of his product.

The best way to judge the freshness of a fish is to have a good memory. If you buy a fish that is particularly good, remember what it looked like, smelled like, and most importantly who sold it to you. Build a relationship with trustworthy sellers. Talk to them, look around, and smell the product. If all signs point to freshness, take it home and enjoy.

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