Buying guides
The things people ask before they buy fish, answered plainly.
Buying fish is not like buying anything else. The same species can be excellent or two days old, you are standing in front of it, and the difference comes down to three signs. Sizes, cuts and local names shift from one fishmonger to the next, so people ask for one thing and take home another. These guides are written from inside the work: how to judge a fish before you buy it, which species suits which dish, what actually separates the shrimp grades, and which cut to ask for so the dish comes out the way you pictured it. No general advice, only things you can use today.
How to tell if fish is fresh
A practical guide to judging fresh fish by the eyes, gills, flesh and smell, plus cut and frozen fish. From Masr Seafood, Cairo delivery.
Read the guideThe best fish for charcoal grilling
Which fish work over charcoal and why, and how to ask for the right preparation so nothing sticks or dries out. Mullet to shrimp.
Read the guideFish species in Egypt and how to choose
A guide to the fish available in Egypt: tilapia, mullet, Nile perch, sea bream, sea bass, grouper, emperor and porgy, and what each one is best cooked as.
Read the guideThe shrimp guide: sizes and choosing
The difference between the six shrimp sizes and the Suez lines, what each one is best for, how to spot fresh shrimp, and why it is weighed before peeling.
Read the guideCleaning and cutting: exactly what to ask for
Every preparation explained: whole, gutted and scaled, butterflied, filleted, steaks, peeled shrimp, calamari rings, and which one suits which dish.
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