Fish Facts

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Fish facts
You've heard eating fish is really good for you, so you head for your local deli looking for some tasty kingklip or a nice tuna fillet. But how can you tell whether it's fresh or frozen, and what's the best option anyway?


Why should you eat fish?
Fish is an excellent source of protein, providing amino acids that are easily absorbed by the body, vitamin B12 (essential for a healthy nervous system) and iodine (for effective thyroid function). Coldwater fish is a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, which play a role in preventing heart disease.

What's the difference white and brown fish
White fish such as hake and kingklip, have low fat flesh (their oil is concentrated in the liver.) Brown fish, such as salmon, sardines and trout, have oil distributed throughout the flesh and are therefore higher in fat (these fish contain omega-3 essential fatty acids.) It's a good idea to have a balance of both in your diet.

Is fresh better than frozen?
If the fish you're eating for supper comes straight off the boats, there's nothing better in terms of nutritional content and flavour. However, fish that's caught, processed and frozen at sea comes a very close second. Commercial fish handlers use special freezing equipment that can attain temperatures far lower than any household freezer in a fraction of the time that it would take to freeze at home, and the quick freezing process preserves the integrity of the fish. Slower freezing processes promote the formation of large ice crystals, which puncture the fish muscle and damage the texture. If you're cooking frozen fish, don't defrost it before cooking- you'll lose moisture and nutrients.

How to tell fresh from frozen?
The only way to tell is by looking at the eyes. Fresh fish have sparkly, unglazed eyes; after freezing, the eyes turn milky and start to sink back into their sockets. The freshest of fish smell faintly sweet- not strong and overly fishy. If they're salt water fish, they should smell like the ocean.

Fresh fish will also have a slight covering of mucous on the skin. Don't try and impress your fishmonger by pressing the fish's flesh to see how quickly it springs back. Only a trained expert can tell fresh from frozen just by looking at the flesh.

How long can you keep it?
Fresh fish should be cooked on the day of purchase, as you can't always be sure whether it's really fresh, or just has been frozen and defrosted (unless, of course if you're buying the whole fish- head and all). Frozen fish should have a best before date on the packaging and should be cooked before then to ensure quality. Oily fish can be safely frozen for three months and lean fish for six months.

Why has kingklip become so pricey?
Once a South African staple, kingklip stocks have been severely depleted by years of unscrupulous fishing practices. The shortage has caused prices to shoot up. The government is making an effort to rejuvenate kingklip stocks by preventing large fishing operators from using long lines. Both fresh and frozen kingklip are still available- but at a price.

How should you cook fish?
You can pan-fry, deep-fry, grill, bake, poach, microwave or braai fish- depending on whether it's lean or fatty. Fish cooks quickly and doesn't need tenderising. You need to cook it just enough for the flesh to lose its pearly translucence while still being moist and juicy. If you overcook it, it becomes tough, tasteless and unpleasant.

story by Sally Kramer from FAIRLADY