Top 11 Tips for Choosing Fresh and Delicious Food at the Market

Pork is a nutritious food source with simple cooking methods, making it a popular choice for many families. Today, Mytour will share some kitchen tips on how to choose delicious and safe pork.

Selection Tips:

• Fresh Pork: It will have a dry membrane and a slightly tightened surface, firm meat, bright pink color, soft fat, firm and bright white color, and good elasticity.
• Spoiled Pork: The meat will be sticky or pale, the meat surface slightly wet, poor elasticity, yellow fat, and a musty smell.
• Old Sow Pork: thick skin, soft meat, deep red meat. This type of meat is often passed off as beef.
• Sick Pork: soft meat, yellow fat, may have white opaque spots, the skin may have red blood clots or be opaque.

You should choose freshly colored pork with bright colors. Good meat will be light pink or light red, and the fat will be a pale white color. Use a knife to cut the meat vertically; it should have a slightly tightened meat, a dry surface, soft fat. This indicates fresh and delicious meat.

Avoid choosing meat with unusual colors, pale colors, or overly dark colors. If the meat surface is shiny and slightly sticky to the touch, it should not be purchased. When buying pork, avoid buying pigs that are too old or too young. Choose pieces of pork with thin skin; when pressing your finger into the meat, it will quickly return to its original state without leaving a dent or nail mark. This is fresh and delicious meat.

How to choose the best quality beef to create nutritious and delicious dishes? Let Mytour reveal the secrets to you about selecting good beef.

Selection criteria:

• Good beef: Beef with bright red color, good elasticity, slightly sticky but not wet, and not cold to the touch.
• Old beef: The color of old beef is darker, less elastic.
• Aged beef: Large chunks with purple-red color, grayish fat, and may appear waterlogged.

Preferably, choose beef with bright red color, white veins, and yellowish fat. Press gently on the beef, it should be firm, elastic, without any unpleasant smell.

Furthermore, opt for soft, small chunks of beef, not too smooth. If possible, choose tender beef or female beef for better taste.

Avoid beef with greenish or dark red color, dark yellow fat, white spots, and a slimy texture when touched.

Below are tips for choosing shrimp to ensure you select ones that are not injected with water or harmful chemicals.

Selection criteria:

• Shrimp legs: When buying shrimp, observe whether the legs are firmly attached to the body. The flesh should be firm to ensure freshness. Avoid buying shrimp with blackened legs as this indicates they are no longer fresh.
• Shrimp appearance: Pay attention to the external appearance of shrimp. Spoiled shrimp often have curved bodies instead of being straight or slightly curved like fresh shrimp.
• Fresh shrimp with firm flesh: Avoid buying shrimp that appear slimy. Most of these shrimp have curved bodies instead of lying straight. To check the shrimp, press on the shell and move your finger back and forth. If you feel any grit under your fingers or notice the shrimp is slimy and sticks together, do not buy them.
• Check the distance between shrimp joints: To determine freshness, examine the first joint of the tail. Check the tail joint to assess freshness. One trick to check shrimp freshness, especially for larger shrimp, is to hold them up to the light and observe the distance between the joints on the shell and shrimp flesh. If this joint is wide, it indicates the shrimp is not fresh due to being left for too long or stored in the freezer for an extended period.
• Differentiate clean shrimp from those injected with chemicals: One method many savvy homemakers use to check for fresh shrimp is for frozen or steamed shrimp. Hold the shrimp by the head and tail and pull it straight. If you see tight joints between the shrimp segments, it's fresh shrimp. If these joints are wide, it means the shrimp has been frozen for too long.
• Pale shrimp injected with water: Never choose shrimp that have turned pink as they are old. For raw shrimp, besides the characteristics of being alive, choose ones with pink-white shells and black eyes. As for iron shrimp, do not choose ones with deep pink color as they are old and not fresh. When choosing shrimp, choose ones that are still jumping, slightly curved, soft, with intact legs, and shiny shells. If choosing frozen shrimp, hold the head and tail and pull straight. If the joints between the shrimp segments are close together, it's fresh shrimp. If these segments are wide apart, it indicates the shrimp has been stored for a long time. Do not choose shrimp that are dead, cloudy white, with stiff straight bodies, spread tails, and curved bodies, as these are shrimp injected with chemicals.

To purchase the freshest fish, homemakers must utilize all special senses, especially their ordinary sense to select fish. Whether it's ocean fish, river fish, whole fish, fillets, or frozen fish... the primary goal when buying fish is to choose fresh fish or frozen fish while still fresh for the best taste.

Selection criteria:

• Choose whole fish: Choosing a whole fish is much easier. The key to cooking a delicious meal with good fish is to start with the freshest fish possible. If you trust your senses along with the following guidance, you'll surely have a wonderful meal with the best ocean or river fish.
• Examine the fish's eyes: Look at the fish's eyes. If the eyes are clear, bright, and slightly bulging, the fish is still fresh.
• Fish scales: A fresh fish should shine - both literally and figuratively. If it still has scales, they should be shiny and metallic, not dull in color. The scales should be tightly packed, like tiles on a roof. Avoid any fish missing scales, as this is a sign they have been dead for a long time and are no longer fresh. If the fish is a scaleless type, make sure the skin is shiny and moist, not discolored or dull.
• Firm fish flesh: Fresh fish flesh should be firm and almost rubbery. If the flesh feels soft or mushy, it's no longer fresh. If pressed lightly, the flesh should spring back and leave no indentation, indicating fresh fish. The skin of fresh fish should be neither brittle nor torn.
• Inspect the gills: Before buying fish, ask your fishmonger to show you the gills. The gills should be a bright cherry red, indicating the fish is still fresh. If the gills are dark brown, and the color of the brick has faded, the fish is not fresh.
• Smell: We've looked and felt to determine if the fish is fresh, now let's move on to smell. Take a deep, strong breath, don't be shy. Saltwater fish will have a sea smell, freshwater fish will smell like a pond. Conversely, if a fish smells fishy, it means it has started to spoil. If you catch a whiff of ammonia, that's another sign the fish has been unfresh for quite some time.
• Fillet: If you want to buy a fillet, you also need to make sure you get the best fish fillets. When it comes to fillets, the usual rule applies. The fish meat should look moist and fresh - if it's gray or flaking, the fish has been around for a while. The fillets should lay flat, with no curved edges, and have a pale pink color. You should request to touch the fish to ensure it's firm, solid, not soft and mushy.
• Fillet skin: The skin of a fish fillet should be shiny and brightly colored. If it's dull or torn, it could be a sign the piece of fish is no longer fresh. Before buying, don't forget to perform a quick sniff test to ensure the fish doesn't have a foul odor.

Crab, mantis shrimp are favorite dishes of many people and are also widely sold. With prices ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 VND/kg, if you're not careful in choosing, you might end up buying crabs, mantis shrimps 'not worth the money'.

Selection criteria:

• Crab: Choose crabs with complete legs and claws, no foul odor. When touching the eyes, the eyes should protrude and retract, and when touched, they should feel firm, indicating fresh crabs. Choose healthy-looking crabs with firmly attached flaps, legs, and claws that move vigorously. The spikes on the claws and crab's shell should still be sharp. Avoid crabs that look slightly green, and if pressed on the flaps, they feel soft, indicating they are watery, spongy, less meaty, and not tasty.
• Mantis Shrimp: Choose medium-sized ones, about the size of an adult's hand, press on the flaps without sinking. If you prefer mantis shrimps with meat, choose males, which are ones with the flap near the mantis shrimp's body not concave; if you want mantis shrimps with roe, choose females, which are ones with a slightly yellowish color, their legs feel very firm, not soft or concave.

Squid is a familiar ingredient that can be used to make many delicious dishes such as hotpot, grilled dishes, etc. Today Mytour will share with you how to choose fresh and delicious squid, ensuring attractive meals for the whole family!

Selection criteria:

• For fresh squid: To buy fresh squid, first, you need to observe the color of the squid. Fresh squid will have a shiny color. The brown part will be dark brown, while the squid body will be white and opaque like milk. When touching the squid's body, you will feel the flesh firm and highly elastic. When pressing on the squid's body, it will quickly return to its original state without leaving any dents. In addition, for fresh squid, you will observe the color of the eyes clear, not bulging out, and not yellow or leaking fluid. If the squid is not fresh, the eye part will be more cloudy, sometimes with leaking fluid. Furthermore, fresh squid's head and tentacles will be firmly attached to each other. Squid that is not fresh will often have soft and easily detachable parts.
• For dried squid: Dried squid is also widely sold in the market. Let's refer to some tips below to choose and buy quality and safe dried squid. First, you need to observe the layer of powder on the outside of the squid's skin. The thicker the powder layer on the squid's skin, the better and firmer the squid meat. Checking the dryness of the squid can also determine the quality of the dried squid. Press your finger on the dried squid's body, if it does not stick to your hand, and you cannot feel the moisture, it means those are sun-dried squids. The color of good dried squids is usually fresh, neither too dark nor too light. In addition, the squid's tentacles and head must be firmly attached to the body, not separated or peeling off. The thicker the dried squid, the firmer and tastier the meat. This type of squid, when grilled, will be fragrant, with thick meat and richer flavor.
• Distinguishing real and fake dried squids: Real dried squids will not be tough, very easy to tear when processed. Fake squids will be tough, very difficult to tear, with elasticity like rubber bands because they are often made of rubber. If the squid is packaged, you need to observe the packaging carefully. Choose packages that are tightly sealed, not torn, peeled, punctured, or show signs of being torn, replaced, and reused. Real squids when grilled have a very distinctive aroma, soft meat, and are very easy to tear. Fake squids when grilled will easily burn because they are made of rubber. Fake squids when soaked in water for about 10 - 15 minutes will lose the outer coating layer completely and reveal the rubber piece inside. Real squids have a spine in the middle of the back, and when torn, the meat has a certain fluffiness, while fake ones are smoother and flatter. Avoid buying pre-cut squid parts as these are the types most likely to be counterfeited or mixed with fake squids the most.

Currently, there are numerous types of rice available on the market for housewives to choose from. To select fragrant and delicious rice, it is recommended to choose freshly harvested rice because the taste, sweetness, and aroma of freshly harvested rice are always superior to rice that has been stored for a long time.

It is advisable to choose rice that is not finely milled to retain more fiber, minerals, and vitamins. Conversely, finely milled rice, which is polished, will lack fiber, vitamins, minerals, etc., and only contain the rice core inside. Although it may be soft and tasty when eaten, it will lead to quick hunger after eating and continuous consumption may result in excess weight gain. This is not to mention that white rice is often flavored with fragrances and preservatives.

How to choose:

• Fresh rice: Dry rice grains, evenly sized, without many broken grains or impurities, smelling of the characteristic aroma of each type of rice, and the color remains unchanged.
• Old rice: Less fragrant rice grains, not shiny, sometimes clumped together, and may contain moth infestations.

Duck can be prepared in many different dishes for family meals such as duck braised in fermented bamboo shoots, duck hotpot, lemongrass fried duck, grilled duck… However, you need to know how to choose delicious duck, because if you are not careful in the selection process, no matter how elaborate the cooking is, the duck can still turn into a failed dish. If you lack experience, apply the following tips on how to choose delicious duck from Mytour.

How to choose:

• Delicious duck: A good duck must be of the right age, neither too young nor too old. It should be firm, with thick meat, not too lean but also not too fatty. To ensure that you choose a duck as described above, you should look for those with the following characteristics: Mature ducks have full feathers (the tips of the two wings cross each other), and they have evenly developed breasts and thighs, with thick skin on the abdomen and neck. When you lift the duck, it should feel heavy. When you firmly grasp the thighs and lift them up, if the breasts and thighs feel firm and full, then it is a good duck with plenty of meat. Avoid choosing ducks that are too young or too old. Choose ducks that are just right for eating, with full feathers, round breasts and thighs, and the meat will be fragrant and not tough. Male ducks are usually tastier than female ducks.
• Young duck: Large and soft beak, with many soft feathers, but the meat is not sweet
• Old duck: Small and hard beak, if the duck has had many broods, the lower abdomen will sag

Above are the tips for choosing delicious duck. To choose a duck of the right age, thick and firm, and deliciously fragrant, apply the tips that Mytour has suggested.

Eggs from chickens are an extremely popular food, essential in Vietnamese family meals. They are so common that you have to use at least about 3 eggs every week. However, there are times when the eggs you buy outside the market are not fresh, and sometimes even completely spoiled, which is very inconvenient and makes you worried about your family's health.

Stale eggs can develop mold, become contaminated with harmful bacteria that can cause skin rashes and itching, in addition to problems such as diarrhea, stomach cramps, headaches, fever, vomiting, and dehydration when consumed for a long time. For these reasons, housewives need to pay attention to choosing fresh eggs.

How to choose:

• Fresh eggs: Choose eggs that are small to medium in size, with thick shells, shells that feel smooth and have a thin layer of powder around them, indicating that they are fresh. If you gently shake the egg and don't feel any movement inside, the egg is still good.
• Stale eggs: The eggshells are usually shiny and when you shine a light on them, you'll see red color and many vein lines, or when you shake them, you'll feel strong movement or hear noise, indicating that they are old and of poor quality.