Buying Fish

Smell it!

Fresh fish should smell sweet: you should feel that you're standing at the ocean's edge. Any fishy or strong flavour means the fish is past its prime; do not buy it. I still have a vivid memory of shopping in a local supermarket, watching an elderly gentleman sniff each portion of raw fish offered to him by the butcher. The gentleman rejected almost every fish because it didn't smell fresh. You can be sure that the fish he chose was moist, delicate, and delicious.

Look at it!

Whole fish should look as they were just pulled from the water; bright eyes and firm flesh are signs of freshness. Fish fillets or steaks should be firm and bright looking, with no brown spots or discoloration.

Freeze it!

Fresh fish should be stored in your refrigerator for only a day or two; it's very perishable. Any longer than that, and wrap the fish well in freezer paper and freeze it. Unless you live near a coast with a reliable supply of freshly caught fish, most fish that you buy will be sold frozen. Keep it frozen until you're ready to cook it. Fish can be thawed in the refrigerator, or under cold running water, or in the microwave. Be sure to cook it as soon as it's thawed.

What about bones?

Many fish, including trout and salmon, have a double rib cage, so the fillets may have small pin bones. You can remove these by pressing the flesh with your fingers, and removing the bones using a tweezer. It's possible to buy fillets of these species without pin bones, but they are generally much more expensive.

15.Make up a dialogue according to the situation. Your friend and you are at the fish monger’s. Your friend wants to buy some fish and asks you to give him some advice.

16.Translate into English.

Риба з давніх-давен займає значне місце в харчуванні. Рибні страви можуть бути використані для святкового столу, буденної їжі, для дієтичного та дитячого харчування.

Продукти моря, особливо риба, містять у своєму складі йод. А в багатьох регіонах України йоду не вистачає в ґрунті і, відповідно, рослинна і тваринна продукція, яка вирощується на цих землях, не містить достатньої кількості цього мікроелементу.

Крім того м'ясо риби містить достатню кількість повноцінних білків, які легко перетравлюються і на 80-85% засвоюються організмом. Тому воно більш корисне людям, у яких є ті чи інші зміни у функції органів травлення.

17.Speak on the importance of having fish in the diet.

FOOD for THOUGHT

Read the following idioms and their meanings. Think of their Ukrainian equivalents. Complete each sentence with the correct idiom.

packed (in) like sardines: very closely crowded together have other fish to fry: have other activities to do, esp more important ones a fine kettle of fish: an awkward situation; mess a fish out of water: out of one's usual place make fish of one and flesh of another: discriminate unfairly between people

1.Our guests would arrive at any minute and all the electricity had gone off; that was........

2.That’s all very well, but why.......?

3.The tour bus was so crowded we could hardly breathe. We were........

4.Steven sat among those people pale and silent, like........

5.I just can’t be bothered dealing with these details, I........