The elderly in the family have always advised to avoid eating fish, meat and egg during monsoon and for a good reason too.
This is the season when our body is vulnerable to viruses, infections and bacteria, especially in water and air (due to high relative humidity).
And if you are a foodie, it is advisable to restrain having food in at Khao Gali or from food vans. After all, the hygienic condition at these places is anyone’s guess. Thus care should be taken if at all one has the itch to gorge on eggs, meat and fish.
Fish
All fish and crustaceans breed during the rainy season and their anatomy goes through a lot of changes and more so they moult. During this period, they are prone to a lot of bacteria and algae getting attached to their body. Tjis can cause a lot of discomfort as they get passed on to humans while eating fish.
However, there are some checks if you can’t resist the temptation. First check the fish scales; they must have a metallic colour. Next, if you press the fish then it will bounce back. The eyes will have glitter and not have a dull look. The gills should be more on the reddish side and not pinkish. This indicates the catch is stale.
For crustaceans such as prawns, shrimps and crabs, the shell should gleam, specially the belly of crabs.
For prawns pull the antennae and tail. If they separate easily, then avoid buying it. Second if you get the roe (eggs) of the fish, the membrane has to be tight. Always clean and wash the catch with flowing water and marinate it with turmeric and salt.
While cutting the fish avoid round cuts. Rather have fillet cuts so that cooking it inside out will be easier and make it safer against pathogens.
Eggs
Bacteria and pathogens are at a high during monsoon as the damp conditions favour their growth and spread. It is the time when Salmonella and E-coli might infect you, leading to upset stomach, indigestion and food poisoning. Thus avoidance is the best solution.
Still if you have that craving for eggs, check on these facts. It’s best to have your eggs cooked at home. To check if an egg is fresh or not, drop it in a tumbler filled with water. If the egg stays down it is fresh, but stale if it floats. When cracking the eggs or during cooking, they should not give out a foul smell and the yolk has to be firm. Watch out for the yolk when it is dropped on a ‘lacha parantha’ for the roll you are planning to have from a food vans or local outlet.
Meat
We have the habit of buying meat of a freshly slaughtered goat. But care should be taken while buying chicken. The butcher might have dressed the dead chicken and push it for a quick buck.
Here are a few tips to avoid buying such unhealthy fare. When a chicken has been dressed, check on the spots on the body and whit lines. If these are present, the chicken is diseased and infected. Also, the mMeat should not have any sticky residue. On the other hand, fresh chicken will have a glaze and should be firm.
You must clean all meat with lukewarm water along with turmeric and salt. It is advisable to boil the meat with some spices and remove the scum, which contains the dirt of the meat. This helps in killing the bacteria and pathogens.
Happy cooking…
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