“We can’t trust that”: a fishmonger warns about this preconceived idea regarding the freshness of fish

In order to choose a good fish, it is important that it is very fresh. However, faced with stalls with different varieties, it is difficult to make a choice. Many then rely on the appearance of the fish thinking that this would be linked to the freshness of the product. In reality, this is not true. A fishmonger wanted to set the record straight.

It is in his latest Youtube video that the fishmonger of the covered market of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, Arthur Viot, attacks a prejudice that has a strong teeth regarding the freshness of fish. Indeed, consumers would, according to him, be spontaneously attracted to the same type of fish on the stalls, that is to say fish with a beautiful appearance. It is this which then exerts a power of attraction on people and which triggers a purchase. However, this turns out to be completely false. In fact, the expert states:“We cannot rely on that. It’s a bit of a trompe-l’oeil that you can find in a fish store.”

In his video, the fishmonger points out that we are generally attracted to things that shine and therefore we will spontaneously choose a fish with shiny skin since it is more attractive: “But be careful, this does not mean that the fish is fresh! If a fish is shiny, it is simply because it is moist”.

So, to check the freshness of a fish, it is better to base yourself on other criteria. For example, one of the best criteria is smell. “I say it every time: the fish must not smell bad. Fresh fish has no odor. It’s really a reliable criterion to know if the fish is fresh.”