The specialist Ezequiel Hugo Hernández and Chef Luis Arzápalo explained to us

at Xcaret Gastronomic Festival. 

It is well known that when buying a fish, one of the first things that comes to our mind to guarantee its quality is to ask if the fish is "fresh," but did you know that this characteristic is not the right one to see the quality of a good fish? More aspects determine its quality and, therefore, its flavor. Here are six essential questions to ensure you take home the best fish.

You may also be interested in: THE CHEFS THAT SHAPE THE CULINARY GROUP AT XCARET HOTELS

1. What shape is the tail of the fish?

You might think you have to be an expert to know how to identify the taste of a fish, but we have good news for you: There are visual elements that can help you choose the best one. Incredible as it may seem, you can tell a lot about a fish by the shape of its tail, and this is because this part of the body is what lets you know the rhythm of life of each species.  For example, when a fish has a tail divided into two beaks, like tuna, it contains more fat. Therefore, it becomes juicier.

On the contrary, if the fish has the tail in only one part, as in the case of sole fish, it will be lighter when consumed, it will not contain high amounts of fat, and therefore, the flavor will be less intense.

Learn more about fish species: THE SPECIES AND THEIR NATIVE, ENDEMIC, EXOTIC, AND INVASIVE DISTRIBUTION

2. What was the method used to catch it?

This question is vital to know the actual quality of a fish, as each method involves a different time and process from the point at which the fish dies, is put on sale, and reaches your plate.

For example, net fishing is the least recommended because of the time it takes from when the fish is trapped in the net until they are taken out of the sea after several hours and then even longer until they are put on ice, distributed, and sold. During this process, the fish loses freshness and is susceptible to contamination by viruses or bacteria.

3. If the fish is farm-raised, how is it fed?

You must know what it ate, if it ingested any antibiotics, or if it was given hormones as a treatment during rearing. This information can tell you a lot about the taste or juiciness you can expect from the fish. If you have this information, we assure you that you can better choose what you want.

4. How did the fish die?

Ideally, the fish should not go through a phase of stress or excessive energy expenditure during fishing. This can cause changes in the taste and quality of the fish. Therefore, there are several ways to catch a fish in more artisanal methods:

• No-Jime (Japanese): killed by suffocation outside and kept outdoors until the end of the fishing day.

• Kori-Jime (Japanese): Exposed to the outdoors to die and then transferred to a container with frozen water for preservation.

• Bleeding (Ja Mat' adaptation): An incision is made in the ventresca (what we could call its belly), and it is left to bleed until the tissue is clean and free of possible bacteria that could be generated in the blood.

• Shukketsu (Ja Mat' adaptation): The fish's brain is destroyed so that it does not continue to suffer stress after fishing and is left to bleed.

• Ike-Jime and Shinkei-Jime (Japanese): The fish's brain is destroyed, bone marrow extraction is added, and finally, it bleeds out.

5. What does fish smell like?

Think about the times you have gone shopping for fish. Do you remember if the smell was pleasant? Theoretically, it should not have any bad smell if it is kept in good cleanliness and refrigerated at no more than 4°C. If you detect that the fish has an unpleasant odor, it may contain some bacteria, viruses, molds, or enzymes that can affect your health even after cooking.

6. Does it belong to a sustainable fishing program?

Before answering this question, it is essential to clarify that when we talk about "sustainability," we are not only referring to being part of the ecological care during fishing, but during this practice, social aspects are taken into account, such as the welfare of the community that is dedicated to this fishing sector, and economic aspects such as guaranteeing the commercialization of a quality product at a fair price.

You can also read: WHAT IS SUSTAINABILITY AND HOW TO APPLY IT TO MY DAILY LIFE

That said, a fish that reaches your table under sustainable fishing can guarantee that at all times, there is responsibility and delicacy to reduce or eliminate any damage that this activity could cause to the natural environment, society, and its commercialization process. These simple questions will make a difference when you want to determine the quality of a fish.

Remember that if the answers you get are more precise, you will be more confident that you are buying a quality product, and therefore, you will know that you are choosing the best to take home and cook it as you like.

Would you like to learn more about the role of fish in our diet? Let us know in a comment.