As Tet approaches, families eagerly prepare fresh and delicious dishes, including meat, fish, and fruits,… However, finding fresh and safe food for the family remains a concern for many homemakers. Today, TasteVN will guide you with some kitchen tips to help you confidently choose clean and delicious food during Tet!
1How to choose fresh beef and pork
To select fresh beef, you should choose pieces that are bright red, with light yellow fat, white sinews, and a firm texture when touched.
Avoid buying pieces of meat that are mottled, have an uneven color, a strong odor, or show signs of sliminess, as these may be spoiled meat.
For pork, you should also choose pieces that have an even color. Pork is generally lighter red compared to beef, often a pinkish hue.
Good meat will feel slightly elastic to the touch, not too dry but also not sticky. Avoid pieces of meat that show signs of spoilage to ensure your family’s health.
2How to choose seafood
For fresh fish, the mouth of the fish should be tightly closed, the fins and scales should still adhere firmly to the body of the fish, and the body should feel elastic and firm when touched.
For shrimp, prawns, and crabs, the shells should be bright, shiny, without broken claws or peeling heads.
Clams, oysters, snails, and mussels must still be alive, not cracked shells or gaping mouths. Squid should be chosen to have white flesh, medium size, and not broken black ink sacs.
3How to choose frozen food
Frozen food is also one of the most popular items during Tet because of its convenience.
To choose delicious frozen food, the first thing you should do is trust reputable and quality establishments. In addition, you should also carefully check the origin, expiration date, and storage conditions of the product.
4How to choose poultry (chicken, duck, goose,…)
For poultry, if you want to buy live ones, you should choose those that are still healthy, have a red comb, wide open bright eyes, a clear call, and smooth feathers.
It is advisable to avoid those that show signs of illness, fatigue, have a darkened comb, wheezing sounds, or have discharge coming from their eyes and mouth.
If you buy processed poultry meat, you need to choose pieces that have natural colors, ranging from white with a yellow tinge to bright yellow. The pieces of meat should not have bruises, strange colors, foul odors, or be slimy.
5How to choose fresh vegetables and fruits
To choose fresh and delicious vegetables and fruits, you should prioritize those that are in season. Choose vegetables and fruits that have natural colors, not overly beautiful as they may have been treated with growth stimulants to enhance development and maintain color.
You should not choose vegetables and fruits that show signs of withering, bruising, or have unusual smells or shapes. Some fruits should be avoided when they have sprouted, especially potatoes, as consuming them can be very dangerous due to toxicity.
6How to choose various types of pork sausage, steamed pork, square sticky rice cake, and cylindrical sticky rice cake
For square sticky rice cake and cylindrical sticky rice cake, you should choose cakes with an outer layer of leaves that are not too dry or blackened, and when you smell, you can detect a light fragrance of dong leaves and sticky rice.
Do not choose cakes that feel slimy on the outside and have a sour smell as these are signs that the cakes have spoiled.
You can see more about how to preserve square sticky rice cake and cylindrical sticky rice cake to keep them fresh longer:
For pork sausage, you should choose those that have a white-yellowish color, not too white and not too yellow. When smelling, there should be a fragrant scent of meat and pepper. The more holes in the sausage, the chewier, crispier, and tastier it is.
7How to choose and buy dried foods and canned goods
For dried and canned foods, you should choose those with labels that provide full information, including type, origin, ingredients, instructions, manufacturer, expiration date,…
Avoid choosing dried foods that show signs of mold or have unusual smells, and those with unclear origins.
You should avoid buying brightly colored foods as they may contain artificial colors or harmful additives.
8How to choose and buy spices
To choose clean foods with these spices, you should buy those that are pre-packaged in supermarkets or reputable stores. The bags must contain complete information about the origin, expiration date, ingredients,…
To enhance the flavor of dishes and ensure the health of your family, you can also buy raw ingredients and prepare them at home.
9How to choose and buy eggs
When buying eggs, you should choose those with clean shells, bright colors, and no cracks. They should feel heavy and solid in your hand.
To check, you can hold the egg up to your ear and shake it lightly. If you do not hear any sound, it is a fresh egg. The longer the egg is stored, the looser the contents will become, and the sound will be louder.
10How to choose different types of Tet jam
To ensure safety, you should choose to buy jams with clear origins, not spoiled or moldy, and without strange smells.
If you want to be absolutely assured about Tet jam products, you can choose to buy the ingredients and make them at home with many delicious, simple recipes.
You can refer to some delicious, simple, easy-to-make jam recipes at home:
11How to choose candies
Currently, there are many candies sold in the market by weight, without clear origins. Consumers should not buy unsafe, low-quality candies just because they are cheap or have a foreign label.
If you want to buy pre-packaged candy baskets, be sure to look closely at the items inside to avoid purchasing fake or counterfeit products, which can lead to a loss of money and health issues.
12How to choose watermelon seeds
Watermelon seeds with a red color are very likely to be artificially colored. Therefore, when buying watermelon seeds, you should choose those with a natural reddish-brown color. The seeds should be uniform in size and color; no seed should be pinker or darker red than the others.
You can test if the seeds have been artificially colored by holding one in your mouth for a moment and then rubbing the outer shell with your hand. If the color fades, it indicates that the seeds have been soaked in food coloring.
Additionally, you should avoid buying watermelon seeds that show signs of pests or mold to ensure your health and that of your family.
13How to choose good wine
Wine is one of the most easily counterfeited foods during Tet. Therefore, to choose good and safe wine, you should select reputable and familiar establishments if it is homemade wine.
If you buy bottled wine, you should choose those with complete and intact labels. You can shake it gently to check how well the wine clings to the bottle’s wall. The higher the alcohol content, the stronger the wine’s aroma will be.
So TasteVN has guided you on some ways to choose safe food during Tet. We hope these shares will help you select fresh and safe foods for your family to make Tet more abundant and prosperous.
