Pay attention to its head, belly and back: how to choose fresh herring with caviar at the store

Herring is a very healthy and budget-friendly fish that you can salt yourself. When choosing a fish, it is also very important to pay attention to its size, as well as its head, back, belly, and eyes, especially if you want to choose a product with caviar.

The FoodOboz editorial team shares useful life hacks on how to quickly determine which herring contains healthy caviar.

What to look for when choosing fish

1. Size

It is believed that the best herring is the one up to 17 cm long. It supposedly has the optimal amount of meat, and large fish accumulate a large amount of harmful substances.

2. Head

Male herring have a narrow and elongated head. In females, it is rounder and noticeably shorter. Males have a massive, slightly rounded back and a straight abdomen. If possible, touch the abdomen: it should be soft. Females have a flat and thin back and a dense abdomen with a larger belly. this is where the caviar is located.

3. Skin

If you notice that the skin has moved away from the fillet when choosing a fish, it may mean that the fish is oily.

Bad and spoiled herring will have a specific smell and color, as well as cloudy eyes.

Tip: if you are afraid of buying salted fish, choose large fish. It is almost impossible to over-salt it.

OBOZ.UA also reported how to clean herring in just 1 minute.