The Jungle Boys’ Journey to Nature

The Jungle Boys are set for a new and more exciting chapter in their Boracay Island Love story.  With the infamous Jungle Bar gone (for now), Jungle Boys Archie “Pakyu”, Jack “Bato”, Jack “Masterbater”, Bogs “Sabogs”, Tatay Bangaw and Roldan “Rabadogsty-le” are still here to captivate their followers with tribal sunset jamming sessions, guest performances in festivals all over the country, and through the reigning Boracay event, the Boracay Full Moon Party.

Stemming from a succession of memorable jamming sessions, starting at Bom Bom Bar in the late 90s to 2003 with veteran artists Perry Argel and Django Valmores, to the annual Dragonboat festivities, to Plazoleta in 2006 and to the Jungle Bars in Bolabog and Angol, the multi-talented boys of the Jungle are known for their mix of indigenous, African and Latin American sounds, orchestrated with the djembe, flute, didgeridoo, spell-binding fire dancing, and electronic dance music.  People find them every now and then, huddled together on the White Beach during sunset, giving praise to Mother Nature with each one’s own instrument, and by impulse, they let their hair loose and surrender to the boys’ sweet-sounding call of nature.

In the not so distant past, the Jungle Boys were regularly visible in their home base, the Jungle Bar.  Archie, also known as the Boss was managing the bar, meantime encouraging his guests to try his signature concoction, Jack “bato” was tasked in organizing events, Jack “Masterbater” was directing the performances on stage, Bogs was responsible for the imaginative adornments and illuminations in the bar, Roldan was busy entertaining guests with his contagious humor, and Tatay Bangaw, being the elder of the group was making sure his boys were having as much fun just as he was.  Now with the Jungle Bar gone, the boys channel their energy into arts, sports, adventure, fatherhood, and more Full Moon Parties.

As heirs of Mother Nature and of Boracay, the boys guarantee their sophisticated followers to uphold the untouched vibe of the island with continued Full Moon Parties.  Last month, the boys held the 40^th Full Moon Party in three different venues.  Host bars Moonzone, Levantin and Area 51 in Bolabog, and Tiki Bar in Station 3 added their names to the Full Moon Party’s legacy, highlighted with sunset jamming, hip-swaying performances by La Carlota, local and foreign DJ performances, fire shows, drinking games, and the boys’ full moon ritual performances with indigenous tribal drum circle.

Thus with the bar closed, the Boracay Full Moon Party is brighter and will stay brighter for three days until well, of course, sunrise.

To get in touch with the Jungle Boys, visit their page on facebook: junglebarboracay@groups.facebook.com

Digestive Desert Dates Desserts

Dates or Balah (in Arabic) are palm berries rich in protein, vitamins A & B, dietary fibers, potassium and good carbohydrates.  They are so nutritious that the desert Bedouins are known to use the dried ones as their survival food in dry desert areas.

This ancient tree undergoes four versatile stages of maturity.  The first stage or kimri produces a green and hard texture that can be used for pickles and chutney.  Afterwards is khalal, whereby the fruit changes into a yellow color, ideal for making jam, butter and compotes.  Thus, as it becomes softer and purple, the harvesting stage or rutab begins, making way for the preparation of date bars, date paste and preserves or for raw consumption. At the final stage, being tamer, the fruit transforms into a darker shade of brown or black, softer with a wrinkled exterior, and a very sweet flavor, which can be eaten fresh or sun-dried for longer shelf-life.

In this holy month of Ramadan, a gourmet of date products line all the markets African and Middle Eastern countries to provide faithful followers with the traditional “fast breaker”, as the Prophet Muhammed had done before the sunset prayer and Iftar.  Fresh and dried dates are also valuable in the banquets as ingredients in preparing meat casseroles, desserts and sweet porridges to be served to family and close friends, as well as a gift idea for the impoverished.

Whilst to improve indigestion, nutritionists recommend a few doses of dates to induce the intestinal flow.  It is not known as The Desert Fruit for nothing if it does not yield such clever results.

Captive Crowd Pleasers

With the rise of technological advancement, we find ourselves instantly up close to answers that pique our curiosity. We have the efficient device, as the internet, to show us all aspects of the world and to perceive the interweaving dynamics of life.  In the case of our animal counterparts, we never really knew how they lived. Unless we watched documentaries or if it is part of our profession or if we have the passion to understand their natural way of living, we nonetheless are left with considerate sites that display the animal kingdom, tamed to show their forms and superficial behavior in a controlled and artificially enhanced environment.

Now through reliable websites and documentaries on TV, we discover that these manmade sites, like the zoos and aquariums, are mere displays of the animals’ true nature. We see videos of them from birth, to their eating patterns, to youth, to adults courting each other in the aim of copulation, to battles with other animal species, to their behavior when seeing humans visiting their natural habitats, to their inbred relation with the environment that they have been created in, and other underlying aspects that the zoos and aquariums do not have the capacity to breed.

Take, for instance the reptiles and dolphins shows.  Primarily marketed as income-generating forms of entertainment for tourists, these innocent creatures were taken away from their homes and brought to seclusion where they are subjected to scheduled training and performances as opposed to food hunting and mating,  to chemical tranquilizers as opposed to their formerly tranquil abode, to semi-fresh food as opposed to live ones, to a repeated playlist of music as opposed to a hint of sound roused by other species, to hundreds of audience as opposed to a daring few, and to caged quarters as opposed to boundless domains.

The question is, are these shows that we have been accustomed to healthy for the animals?

The Reptile Charmers

Usual crocodile shows provide tricky exhibitions of crocodiles being dragged and trampled around a shallow pool by crocodile experts.  Without verbalizing any educational information on their interesting subjects, these professional croc-tamers show off only their bravado and strange camaraderie with these reptiles by opening its mouth and boldly inserting their head and hands inside it.  During intervals, the brave charmers switch to their pet cobras to soothe them into submission, wrapping them around their neck and also inserting their head inside its mouth.

Had these wild yet God-given creatures been left free, they would still be soaking in freshwater, slickly crawling on their webbed feet and preying on fish, birds and mammals that permeate their swampy homes.

 

Swim With the Dolphins

Dolphins are spectacular to watch. Seeing them jump on to the surface of the water and swimming playfully in groups is a heavenly sight to behold. It gives you a profound feeling, as if you are worthy to be their lucky audience and even as their friend.

In the Red Sea, dolphins usually permeate along the straight of Tiran, in vibrant marine areas of Ras Mohamed and in the Dolphin House Protectorate where Spinner Dolphins are often spotted leaping high up in the air, blowing bubbles, slapping their tales, snapping their jaws and jumping over boats while making soft squeaks, clicks and whistles. Commonly perceived as part of their playful and curious nature, the dolphins manifest these behaviors as forms of communication with one another, whether it is an alert to possible dangers, to food or to keeping track of others in the group.

Dolphins are considered among the most intelligent animals in the world. According to National Geographic, dolphins produce high frequency clicks called Echolocation, which tells them the shape, size, speed, distance and location of an object around them. They have a sharp vision and they can hear frequencies ten times or more than the limit of humans.

So imagine how they would feel when they are separated from their group and brought in a confined artificial pool where they are forced to follow orders that is beyond their nature.  Most alarming of all is the way Bottlenose Dolphins have been reported to be captured from Taiji, Japan and brought to countries hosting dolphin shows.

In an exposé done by the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, it was stated that Bottlenose Dolphins undergo extreme brutality from Japanese fishermen and trainers who are hired to capture them for international trade. The capturing process begin with the fishermen forcing the dolphins into the bay with a net. The dolphins panic and are dragged out of the water with ropes around their tails. The trainers then line-up the dolphins on the beach, lying down on hard sand, which results to the exertion of pressure on their internal organs. The dolphins flail around on the beach, accidentally hitting each other with their powerful tails. The trainers particularly look for young female dolphins. Mothers and babies call out in distress as they separated. While the mothers are often chosen for a life of captivity, the babies will eventually be slaughtered with the unqualified dolphins and later packed as canned tuna. The dolphins chosen for a life of captivity are moved on stretchers to cages next to the deafening roar of motor boats.

It needs to be underscored that animals, however dangerous they could be are like humans that deserve freedom to live according to their birthright. Over time these forces of nature that are held in captivity can backfire on their homo sapient hosts and audience, as it has already happened, and in most cases perish to death.

Animals, like us, are created uniquely. The thing that makes us more superior to them is the ability to think intelligently and to act accordingly with respect to the rest of God’s creations. Therefore it makes sense to let animals be the way they are the way we want ourselves to be: free, healthy and alive.

For further readings, visit www.seashepherd.org and www.nationalgeographic.com

 

 

 

 

Al Handal or Bitter Apple: A Forbidden Fruit

You must have seen a small yellow-green round fruit shining everywhere around the desert, teasing you to take a bite into its luscious skin.  The sight of it looks so tempting enough to be forbidden.  Well, better stick to your instincts as this fruit that you’ve seen creeping along the sandy soils in Sinaiis not best eaten.

Al Handal or the Bitter Apple is a wild fruit that grows on sub-desert soils and along the seacoasts.  It has therapeutic properties as well as agonizing results.

In the traditional Bedouin medication, the fruit is used to cure rheumatism.  They make a poultice out of it by boiling the fruit in oiled water, then they cut it in half and press it to their painful joints and wrap it together with a cloth to leave overnight.  It causes a bitter taste in the mouth during this process but the next day it is guaranteed to combat rheumatism.  They use the leaves to alleviate painful menstruation, to treat bronchial asthma and as a diuretic.  The roots they use for healing inflammation of the breasts and amenorrhea, and they use the seedy pulp of the fruit to purge toxins and to cure gonorrhea.

However way the old methods were practiced, doctors of modern medicine have deduced that this wild plant causing agonizing results, such as inflammation of the mucous membrane of the intestines, vomiting, and bloody stools when taken in frequent doses.

They prescribe that in case of poisoning from the Colocynth, as it is scientifically known, the stomach should be emptied and given opium orally or as a suppository.

Either way it works, this tantalizing fruit adds life and substance to the somber desert, invoking amazement to nature wonder as a symbol of paradise in a dry unfertile land.

Atis: The Fruit of a Thousand Cataracts

There is a peculiar fruit that permeates the markets and fruit stands during the humid season.  It looks like an enlarged raspberry with a lumpy yellow-green husk that tenderly cracks open to reveal teardrops of toxic black seeds peering through its shiny cream pulp.  In Arabic, the fruit in question is known as Ashta, in English it is Sweetsop, while in Filipino it is known as the older sister of all or Atis.

Atis is a fruit that originated in tropical Americas and is common in tropical countries.  It matures in summertime and grows well in warm temperature. The edible part is the creamy flesh that coats the oval black seeds. When picking the ripe one, feel it first with the palm of your hand.  Choose the one that is tender but not squashy.  It’s ripe when it feels soft and juicy in the palate and tastes as sweet like a banana. It can be used as an alternative to milk when blended and chilled; an ice cream; a sauce for a salty fish dish; and simply as a desert on its own.

Furthermore, it is low in fat and rich in potassium, iron and vitamin C, though it should be eaten moderately for its high caloric value.

The versatility of this fruit extends to its healing properties.  In Central America and in Asia, the leaves are boiled in water and used as a bath to alleviate rheumatic pain, to hasten menstrual flow and treat dysentery colds and fever; the crushed leaves are inhaled for dizziness; the juice or the paste of the black seeds of an unripe fruit is applied to cure insect bites, as well as an oily cream massaged into a lice-infected head; and it’s chloroform is being tested to combat breast cancer.

Atis is also great as an ice cream.  Try this recipe out:

300 ml Evaporate Milk

1 egg

¾ cup sugar

2 cups seeded Atis pulp

Scald the milk with sugar in a saucepan, then gradually add egg, stirring constantly. Cook for about 2 minutes then remove from heat.  Let it cool.  Stir in ashta pulp and pour into a bowl. Freeze until it reaches the right consistency.  Eat it with a spoon or scoop it on a cone and slurp it.

Sarap!!!

Pomegranate

Believed to be the forbidden fruit of good and evil that Eve and Adam picked in the Garden of Eden, the Pomegranate appears truly tempting amid the round and shimmering red husk, encasing 600 sweet and sour crystalline aril seeds that taunt your palette and melt in your mouth, nearly driving you to madness or to sanity.

Derived from Latin pomum for apple and granatus for seeded, Pomegranate can be consumed in distinctive ways.  The aril seeds are normally consumed raw and can be added as a garnish to salads and desserts for a heightened flavor.  It can also be made into a juice, a soup, a salad dressing, a sauce for poultry and meat dishes, a meat marinade and as a dried acidic agent for chutneys and curries as Indians use it.

This high-fibrous fruit can sustain your health in several aspects. The seeds or juice can cure your heart, throat and fever, thus providing you with vitamin C, vitamin B₅ potassium and antioxidant polyphenols. It is also great for skin toning, for firming up sagging breasts and for hemorrhoids once blended with mustard oil.   The other parts of this fruit likewise aid in curing several diseases.  In Indian Ayurvedic medicine, the rind of the fruit and the bark of the tree is used to remedy nose and gum bleeds, diarrhea, dysentery and intestinal parasites.

Most of all, it excites the senses, making you fall in love with your partner over again.

Testosterone Boosters

In a tourist destination like Sharm El Sheikh, there is never a lack of testosterones.  Men are always energized by the profusion of Vitamin E emitted by the sun, by the assortment of healthy foods and herbs at hand, and of course by the myriad of bikini-clad women sauntering around.

However when men reach the age of 40, their testosterone levels gradually decline. This hormonal deficiency leads to the dysfunction of the pituitary gland, chronic illnesses, kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, stress, alcoholism, depression, difficulty with concentration and memory, decrease in muscle mass, body fat increase, fragile bones, body hair loss, and impotence.

On a brighter note, there are several ways to charge up the testosterones naturally without spending too much money.  Eat foods rich in amino acids, zinc and vitamins B and E, such as:

1. Omega 3 fatty acids food – Mackerel, Salmon and Sardines.

2. Seeds and Nuts – Sesame and Pumpkin seeds, Peanuts, Cashews and Walnuts.

3. Vegetables – Ginger, Squash, Onions, Green Beans, Cabbage, Broccoli, Garlic, Asparagus, Peppers and Brussels Sprouts.

4. Fruits – Berries, Citrus, Pineapples, Pears, Grapes, Figs, Melons, Bananas, Avocados

5. Shell Fishes – Oysters and Shrimps

6. Poultry – Eggs, Turkey, Duck and Chicken (breasts, wings and thighs)

7. Red Meat – Beef and Lamb

8. Dairy – Milk, Yogurt and Cottage Cheese

9. Legumes – Soybeans and Chickpeas

10. Herbs – Ginseng

Balance this diet daily with a 30-minute cardiovascular exercise and a smoke-free lifestyle and your manhood will flourish for the rest of your life.

Honey: The Secret to Men’s Virility

In the ancient times, man did not have modern medicine to sustain their health and beauty; there were no chemically treated cosmetics to prolong their youth, nor was Viagra invented yet to heighten their virility.  Theirs was an existence founded solely on natural resources, just like bees energized by honey.

As written in the Qur’an [16:68-69], “And the lord inspired the bee, saying: Take your habitations in the mountains and in the trees and in what they erect. Then, eat of all fruits and follow the ways of your Lord made easy (for you)’. There comes forth from their bellies a drink of varying color that is healing for men. Verily in this is indeed a sign for people who think.”  If the idea in this verse is religiously cultivated, then life will always be as sweet as honey.

With flowing supply of raw honey that is rich in vitamins and minerals here in South Sinai, particularly from the farm of Dr. Ahmed Mansour in St. Katherine Protectorate, much can be employed to promote optimum health.  For example, if you feel your energy going low, eat a teaspoon of honey to boost you up, while in cases of hypertension, insomnia and nervous conditions, drink a mixture of a spoonful of honey, a cup of water and a teaspoon of lemon juice.

For men who have hormonal imbalances, this sweet medicine can actually work miracles to heighten your love life.  In Ayurvedic medicine, it is prescribed to take two tablespoons of honey daily before bedtime to strengthen potency, and in the daytime to eat finely chopped carrots, along with a half-boiled egg, dipped in a tablespoon of honey, once everyday to help increase sexual stamina.

So forget costly over-the-counter miracle pills and avoid the hassle of going to the doctor for prescriptions.  Licking honey off a tablespoon will do just right for you.

Botanical Beauty Secrets

Having been oriented with Ayurveda, I have become more interested on using natural beauty and health products made from garden plants.  I wasn’t really a shopper of beauty products to begin with because I feared that the chemicals contained in it would harm my sensitive skin, so I had only opted for washing my face with plain water and by drinking lots of water to moisturize my skin.  Yet when my Ayurvedic healer used Aloe Vera mixture on my face and Neem oil to cure my hair loss problem, I was relieved to find that I could take better care of my hair and skin with the same plants that are tucked in my garden.

I delved deep into my garden plants’ medicinal and cosmetic properties, and to my amazement I found lots of benefits by simple procedures that can be made overnight.  Not only did I find several cosmetic wonders from the Neem tree and Aloe Vera, but also from Moringa Oleiferi, a plant that my mother used to feed me with a chicken broth during my childhood.

In my research, I learned that the tree of Moringa Oleiferi, also known as Alim in Arabic and Ben or Drumstick Tree in English, is revered as a miracle tree in India, Africa and Southeast Asia due to its high contents of fatty acids and Vitamins A and C. The leaves are traditionally used as a scrub for treating headaches and fever, and as a tea to relieve gastric ulcers and diarrhea; the yellow flowers are taken as a tea when boiled with water to improve the milk flow of breastfeeding mothers, to cure urinary problems and colds, and is also thought to be an aphrodisiac; and the seeds, which are best made into oil, is a potent antioxidant that treats stomach problems and moisturizes skin and hair.

The Moringa oil is produced by collecting the seeds from its pods and crushing them with an electric grinder or mortar and pessel. Boil for 10 -15 minutes with enough water to cover the seeds and then strain through a cloth into a clean airtight container. Leave overnight to allow the oil to separate from the water and after apply it on your skin or store it inside the refrigerator.  You could also follow another method by putting clean Moringa leaves with heated sunflower or canola oil in a dry air-tight jar and storing it in the refrigerator for 24 hours before use.  This method is easier but produces slower benefits than the oil extracted from its seeds.  Its suggested treatments are:

• As a hair scalp cleanser and strand moisturizer, wash your hair and massage the oil into the scalp for a couple of minutes, and then rinse thoroughly.
• To keep the pores of your skin tight and glowing, gently massage the Moringa oil upwards into your face with the tip of your fingers for a few minutes and rinse thoroughly. Do this every night before going to bed. This is also great for curing skin acnes, wrinkles and cuts.
• As a nutrient-rich skin moisturizer and sun-tanning lotion, apply the oil on your body and re-apply once your skin has dried.
• As a massage oil for your baby, simply massage the oil all over your baby’s skin to improve circulation and to aid in his/her neurological development.

Another miracle tree that may just be hiding in your garden is Neem.  What is called Neeb by Arabs is a highly medicinal plant that is used as a main ingredient in Eastern medicine.  In Ayurvedic medicine, the leaves are made into a paste for healing wounds, ulcer and skin diseases, as well as a tea for detoxification; the bark is powdered or extracted for curing stomach diseases, fever and gum problems; and the oil extracted from the seeds are applied externally to treat fungal infections, mosquito bites and hair loss, among others.  You could follow the same methods for making Moringa oil to produce Neem oil, too. Here’s some beauty uses that experts have suggested:

• Apply Neem oil on areas affected by skin disorders, minor cuts, burns and wounds.
• For total skin protection, make a strong tea with the leaves and add to the bath along with a little rose water, which you can make by boiling the petals with water and leaving them covered for an hour.
• To remedy conjunctivitis and eye itching, boil 10 freshly cleaned leaves with a liter of water for 10 minutes.  Cool and use as an eyewash.
• For athletes’ foot and other foot problems, make a strong tea from a handful of leaves and soak feet.
• For dandruff and head lice, massage a mixture of Neem oil and olive oil into your hair and leave for one hour. Shampoo. Repeat once weekly for 3 weeks or as long as problem persists.
• For sore throats, make a liquid solution by boiling two to three leaves with 300 ml water.  Add honey and let it cool, then use it as gargle.
• For acne, pimples, skin infections, wash the leaves and dry them indoors.  Crush them into pieces with a mortar and pessel until powdery.  Mix the powder with water and apply it to the affected area.
• For sinusitis, use pure neem oil as nasal drops. Two drops morning and evening.

The last ornamental plant, being Aloe Vera is quite famous in folkloric healing for its nutritious contents.  In fact during the Ancient Egyptian times, this plant was known as “the plant of immortality” and was one of the precious things that they buried with the dead pharaohs.  Known as Sabbar in Arabic, this cacti plant excretes a transparent gel (without the yellow substance) that herbal healers use to cure baldness, arthritis, diabetes, indigestion, problems of the heart, skin, kidney, reproductive system, and so on. Its medicinal versatility spreads among 4 species, whereas 11 other species lead to devastating effects.  So if you want to make your own Aloe Vera beauty concoction, choose the most potent one, called Aloe Vera Barbadenis.  It works best for the following recipes:

• For weight loss, ageing and acne drink a glass of Aloe Vera juice made with a spoonful of the transparent gel and water.  Drink two glasses a day, 30 minutes before your meal to activate your metabolism and expel excess water from your cells.
• As a night cream, blend 50 grams gel, 50 grams cucumber (peel removed and roughly chopped) and 50 ml distilled water.  Smooth over you face at bedtime and sleep with it.  Rinse it off with warm water the next day, then store the leftovers in an airtight jar inside the refrigerator.  This will last for 7 days.
• As an after sun restorer, mix 2 tbsps. gel with 1 tsp. olive oil and apply on your skin right away.
• As a lip balm, simply damp the gel on your lips.

These wonderful recipes have been tried and tested already and are guaranteed safe by modern and herbal medicine experts.  If you don’t have these plants in your garden or if you don’t have a garden, you can get pots of these in botanical shops all around Sharm.  With these simple beauty secrets, you may just find yourself paying less money for the best.

“When nature is used in good faith, nature gives back the same way.”

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For more information, browse through www.Miracletrees.org, www.discoverneem.com,  www.mapi.com/en/newsletters/aloe_vera_ayurvedic.htm.

Fish Do’s and Don’ts

 

Little Buddha's sushi combo

Everything about fish brings a smile to our face.  Fishing creates a hearty atmosphere among hobbyists and fishermen.  People who go to the market to look for fishes are happy when they have found fresh ones to feed their family.  They do not feel awkward and stuffy when they eat a big amount of it in one sitting because of its low fat content and high nutritional values.

Most fishes are excellent sources of protein, vitamins and minerals.  In fact, the Food Standards Agency requires us to eat at least two portions of fish a week, combined with a serving of Omega-3 rich oily fishes like salmon, sardines and fresh tuna, which studies have shown can help in preventing heart disease, and for improving IQ, immune functions, symptoms of arthritis and certain skin problems.

Don’ts

However, not all fishes are healthy for you.  Indulging on a good portion of shrimps three times a week can increase the risk of heart disease due to its high cholesterol content.  The same for canned mackerel, which are very oily and may contain mercury especially the ones that have been caught near busy bridges and piers by the bay.  Likewise pass on wild catfishes and  trout that swim in the lakes nearby chemically fertilized land and industrial areas, as they are rightly exposed to contamination.

Meanwhile in France, there is a widespread of Dory Fish fillets that have caused interest among fish lovers because of its mild flavor and inexpensive price.  The Panga, as it is known in its native Vietnamese origin is cheap simply because they’re raised in the polluted Mekong River and fed with dead fish remnants and bones.  The female Pangas are injected with hormones coming from a Chinese pharmaceutical company so they could lay 500,000 eggs at one time, hence the reason why they are abundantly found in supermarkets in Singapore and in Europe.  Despite the poisonous contents of bacteria, arsenic and industrial effluents, they are still accepted for public consumption.

Do’s

Do be aware of the sources and nutrients of each fish that you eat. Restaurants and fish markets in Old Sharm serve the freshest fish from Alexandria, Dumyat, Port Said and Suez.  These cities are in close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea where the juiciest saltwater fish like Denis (Golden Bream or Orata in Italian), Boori or Barbouni (Red Mullet), Hammur (Grouper), Karous (Sea Bass), Kalamaari (Squid), Octopus, Al-Inklis (Eels) dwell.  They make a delicious and healthy food for the reason that they only eat shellfishes, mostly shrimps.

Gambari (Shrimp), Istakoza (Lobster) and Saratan (Crab) are likewise sought after in Sharm.  Seafood restaurants are well-versed in preparing these shell and salt fishes due to the high demand of fish dishes by tourists, thus restaurant guests and fish shops are often guaranteed fresh and good quality ones every day.

When shopping for fresh fish, start in the morning right after the fishermen delivers their early morning catch. Likewise, take a hint from the smell.  Fish or any kind of food for that matter is never good when it reeks of stench.

If you’re buying a whole fish, check the eyes if they’re clear; a dull-eyed fish is as spoiled as it looks.  The scales should be shiny and clean like a polished metal, while the gills should be rich red.

Fish fillets are a staple among working wives for it takes away the effort of cleaning, deboning and cutting, providing them relief for an easy and juicy grill or steam.  If you don’t find filleted ones, you can have a whole fish filleted by the fishmonger.  It is important that the chosen fillets should reflect a shiny skin and a vibrant flesh.  If the fish has liquid, make sure it’s clear and not milky.  You can also tell its freshness by pressing it with your fingers; your fingerprint should disappear when you remove it, otherwise choose another one.

As for shellfishes, you can buy them fresh only when they’re still alive and clamping their claws, otherwise they should be stored in the freezer to lengthen its freshness.

Savor the real flavor of these fish; poach, steam, braise, grill or bake it in a low temperature oven so you can still savor the rich flavor and valuable nutrients it give.