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Smoked fish is a vital ingredient in Nigerian cooking. It is prepared by roasting fish in smoky dry grass with little or no flame. This fish has a unique aroma and taste which it infuses into food. So, those wey sabi dey use am to make soups, stew, pottage and palm oil rice.

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Smoked fish is sold in most markets in Nigeria; it is quite affordable too. However, for some of us who have bought bad fish in the past, the challenge is how to identify good ones so that we can avoid buying bad ones in future. Anyways, I’m happy to inform you that today’s article has the answers to your problems. The following shopping tips will help you to buy good smoked fish:

Check the Stomach

Surprised? Don’t be. The stomach of the smoked fish can tell you if it’s still fresh or if it has gone bad. So the next time you want to buy, feel the stomach. If it’s too soft to the touch, the fish may have gone bad.

Observe the Colour

If you want to buy smoked fish, no hang your eye for up oh! Bring am down and look at what you want to buy. Check the colour of the fish. If it’s brown and black, then it’s most likely a good buy. Don’t buy the very black fish. Those ones may have gotten burnt while smoking.

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Flee from Oily Smoked Fish

Some vendors can be mischievous or wicked, depending on how you see it. Some will go as far as repackaging a bad product so that the ignorant will buy. When that bad product is smoked fish, they’ll oil it to make it look fresh. Thus, when you want to buy, avoid the ones that are too oily.

Go for the Fresh and Fleshy Ones

When you want to buy smoked fish, go for the fresh ones with a bit of flesh on the body. Don’t buy the dry ones, except you like ‘okponku‘ things. Smoked Fish that looks too dry may have stayed long with the vendor. This invariably means that it has passed through the fire too many times.

Mouldy Fish are a No No

I don’t have to tell you this one sef. You should know better than to buy mouldy fish. They never taste good. I hope you’ll put the knowledge you acquired from today’s article into practice. References Wives Town Hall Connection All Nigerian Recipes Featured Image Source: Meat Machinery

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This article was first published on 17th September 2020

udevi-obiamaka-angela

Udevi, Obiamaka Angela holds a Master of Arts degree in History & International Studies. She's a freelance writer with a passion for food and healthy living. She can be contacted through her email address, obiudevi@yahoo.com