Why is the fish rotten

You must have wondered why the smell of rotten fish "smells" much more than the smell of thiu meat? So what is the real cause of this smell and how to handle this unpleasant smell?

The smell of rotten fish is probably the most unpleasant smell that everyone has at least once experienced in life. However, have you ever wondered why the smell of rotten fish "smells" better than the smell of stale meat? The article shared by Moment of Science page will give you a valid answer.

In fact, the meat tissue of the fish contains an odorless chemical called trimethylamine oxide .

Cod can be faster "smelly" than regular catfish.

When the fish die and these tissues are exposed to the outside air environment. At this time, the bacteria in the fish body will decompose trimethylamine oxide into two new types of chemicals, both derivatives of ammonia . Therefore, we will smell the strong and unpleasant dead fish by two chemicals produced in the process of decomposing fish meat.

In contrast, red meat or chicken usually does not contain much trimethylamine oxide, resulting in less odor than fish meat. This type of chemical is especially popular in cold water fish, such as cod. So cod can be "smelly" faster than regular catfish.

So how to handle the smell of rotten fish?

There are many ways to deal with rotten fish smell but first of all need to be aware of how to preserve fish properly.

To keep the fish longer, definitely need to use salt and a reasonable storage temperature . The right temperature to preserve fresh fish within 5-6 days is from -1 to 1 degree C. If you want to leave for 2 weeks, the temperature needs to adjust to -12 degrees C.

People can soak fish in milk for about 20 minutes, chill out within 1 hour and rinse before cooking.

Fish meat has less salt than chicken or red meat. While salt is able to slow down the process of decomposition in meat, so using salt to marinate or smoked or make salt is one of the effective ways to preserve fish for longer.

However, there is a way to quickly handle rotten fish smell if the preservation process is not careful, as long as the meat is still firm, shiny and not too smelly.

According to American food channel Test Kitchen, people can soak fish in milk for about 20 minutes , chilling within 1 hour and rinse before cooking. Or you can use lemon juice to clean the fish. Milk casein and acidity in lemon when combined with trimethylamine can help neutralize unpleasant odors easily.