Seafood is very healthy and nutritious, it contains protein, unsaturated fats, calcium (sea fish), zinc (crayfish, oysters), iron (shrimp, oysters, red fish), copper (crabs, lobsters, oysters), potassium (mussels), phosphorus, selenium and iodine, other vitamins and minerals. How to choose fresh and high quality
Mussels
When buying mussels, make sure that the flaps of all shells are closed. If they are ajar, then the mollusk is more likely dead than alive. You can even tap the shell with your finger – if it reacts and shrinks, then everything is fine, if not – such seafood is dangerous to your stomach.
Squids
They smell like sea and a little mud. Squid meat is grayish-white, but shades of pink and red should alert you. If you are buying squid carcasses, be aware that they should be easy to separate from each other. The film covering the carcass is never monotonous (its shade can vary from pinkish to gray-violet).
Shrimps
They should be pink in color and curled into a ring. If a shrimp’s head is black, it was not the healthiest during its lifetime. Pregnant shrimp have a brown head – their meat is just healthier. But the green head should not alarm you, it does not characterize the shrimp in any way – it just means that during its lifetime it ate a certain food that gives such a color.
oysters
Good oysters cannot be packed in containers, they are sold exclusively live, and are placed on special ice slides. Oysters with open shells should not be bought in any case, such a shellfish can be spoiled, and eating it will cause significant harm to health. The standard size of an oyster is 5 to 15 cm in length.
Lobsters
This product must be bought alive, and the lobster must wiggle its tail when touched or try to move. The color of the lobster can be greenish – gray or blue. The shell should be firm and thick, without disturbances – then fresh and tasty meat awaits you under it.
Cuttlefish
Fresh, they have a strong fishy smell and are pink with hints of brown or purple. You can buy fresh cuttlefish at the fishmonger’s or market. If possible, ask when buying it to clean and cut it, and then carefully look for ink residues. When self-cleaning, it is advisable to wear gloves, as the ink contained in the shellfish stains the hands.