Meat or fish?

Philippines
August 25, 2012 8:41am CST
I was surprised to have known a lot of people who don't like fish. It reminded me of my grandmother who hated the smell of fish and would even eat at the living room whenever fish is served on the table. She just couldn't stand the smell of it, she'd feel like throwing up. I thought she is just not used to it coz we are from the mountains and fish is not very accessible. But when I finally moved to the lowlands where fishes thrive in the sea and huge lakes and I would encounter people not being able to eat like my grandma. In my travels as well in other parts of the world I have met people who live by the seaside and not being able to stand the smell of fish. Once I was in a dance class and one teacher, blurted out that we were like sardines in one corner adding that she hated fish. I thought of what she meant when she said that she hated fish. I then knew that she just doesn't eat fish so yeah, it was just literally said after all.:)
2 people like this
11 responses
@chrystalia (1208)
• Tucson, Arizona
26 Aug 12
When I lived in Massachusetts and Maine, I ate fresh fish all the time. Fresh fish doesn't smell the way leftovers or old fish do. When I moved to Tucson Arizona, I didn't eat fish, other than canned tuna, for 25 years because you couldn't GET fresh fish-- it always smelled. now I live in Washington state, and I go fishing 3 times a week and eat a lot of flounder and dogfish-- and they never smell when they're fresh. I just make sure I don't have leftovers, and I take out the trash after dinner. I don't know if it's just my nose, but shellfish like crab and clams seem to smell a lot more when you cook them than actual fish do, and the smell stays in the house. It really annoys me, so I try not to cook them unless I have the doors and windows open. And I really make sure there are no leftovers, because once the refrigerator smells like fish, the smell just doesn't seem to go away! I have also noticed that some fish smell stronger than others when you cook them anyway, like dogfish. Most sharks have a strong smell, even if you don't kill them until dinner time.
• Tucson, Arizona
26 Aug 12
a lot of people eat it here, because you catch it and bring it home alive, so it's really fresh. I don't eat raw fish-- YUCK. But a lot of people in the U.S. like sushi, which is all raw fish. I don't get it myself-- I want my fish cooked! I do like my dogfish, since we can catch as many as we want-- I only keep the immature males, because they have absorbed less heavy metals and their meat is more tender. Dogfish is great battered and fried with french fries :-). It's also good in stews. I love canned tuna too-- especially tuna melts with cheese :-)
• Philippines
26 Aug 12
you are right with fresh fishes crystalia! i also couldn't eat fish from where i am now in europe. i am from a country in asia that could avail fresh fish anytime. whenever i try to buy fish at the supermarket here i smell it so many times that the vendor gets annoyed already. i just couldn't eat it when there is just a tinge amount of putridity. if it smells when uncooked then all the more when it is being cooked. it would for sure stick on the walls of the house including the clothes even if hidden in enclosed cabinets.
• Vietnam
26 Aug 12
I think you are very very brave . You can eat fresh fish ( i think very few people can do that ). When i came Japan last year, Japanese invited me eat their fresh fish, but i just smell it and .... vomiting . Hahaha.
@marguicha (223001)
• Chile
25 Aug 12
I like both meat and fish. Now I`m eating more fish and chicken and less red meat though. I not only like fish, but I also love seafood and some of the algae that are in our coasts. I live in a long country with a whole long side bathed by the Pacific Ocean, so fish is part of my life. I like it raw, cooked, steamed, fried and baked. YUMMY!!!
25 Aug 12
I like to eat fish and also meat. But now i prefer became vegetarian for more healthful. And I get the benefits by becoming a vegetarian is my weight leaner than before i eat fish and meat :)
@salonga (27775)
• Philippines
29 Aug 12
Oh I love fish. What I hate is pork. I am not a Muslim but certainly I don't eat and hate just the mere smell of pork. But fish I love especially milkfish and salmon which are very rich in omega-3 fatty acid. I can't relate to those who don't eat fish because if given a choice between fish and meat, I surely would choose fish.
@nadrolski (220)
• Philippines
25 Aug 12
Meat or Fish? Despite the rotten smell of them, without any doubts, i pick fish more than meat. i choose fish because not only fish is the best, top-of-the-line source of nutrients, Protein, Vitamin B-12 and iron, it also helps you reduce the risk of having high blood pressure by eating fish oils from fatty fishes. besides, there are several variety of fish meals that you will crave for its smell.
@marguicha (223001)
• Chile
25 Aug 12
A fresh fish doesn`t have to have a rotten smell, I can assure you that.
@Jatada (291)
• India
25 Aug 12
yes after reading your discussion it reminds me of my grandmother who just don't like the smell of meat and fish.she was pure veg.if we served anyone who was near her she will start feeling like vomiting so we have to keep it away from her.but she does not make any limitations on us that we will not eat meat or fish. normally i don't like the smell coming out from the fish when it is not cooked but normally when it is cooked i love the taste of it. anyway in which parts of the world you have visited?
• Philippines
25 Aug 12
Hello Jatada! I am from Asia and visited several Asian countries that are near the sea. I like going to the sea. even when I was in my country, I do visit the beaches often. One could find a nice beach in just two hours drive from the capital city. If the bay in the city has been well taken cared of then it is also a perfect place to be at anytime by the locals and visitors alike. That is what I like a lot with this country I just visited.It has very clean ports, could just swim beside a cruise ship or literally beside the street. It just reminds me of my country. I am now working and living here and Europe and I just had a week of vacation in Malta. I actually still have a hang over from this latest trip. I was really smitten by it.:)
@freedang (320)
• China
26 Aug 12
i love fish and they are deliciuos to me,they have more protein and less fat,i think they are more health that meat. i do met some people that dont eat fish.and there is some people who are hypersensitive to seafood,it is a better choice for them to eat more meat
@Jshean20 (14348)
• Canada
25 Aug 12
Well I know that fish is so good for you but at the same time I don't like it as much as turkey or chicken. I do try to eat it every once in awhile as a substitute from the normal meat dishes that I have, I do hate the smell that lingers with fish though.
• Philippines
25 Aug 12
i eat fish... well any seafood that is. well you just need to know how to cook it with out the smell. there are fish that doesn't have a strong smell. and you can minimize the smell too. lemon grass is a way to reduce some smell for soups. i think lemons helps too.
@pahak627 (4558)
• Philippines
26 Aug 12
During my childhood what we usually eat were fishes and vegetables. We seldom ate meat at that time. As a child, I was choosy and I just have the soup rather than eat the fish and vegetables. But when I get older, I already eat fish and vegetables because these are what the doctor told me because of my illness. So fish is much better than meat.
@riyauro (6421)
• India
25 Aug 12
yeah I also know some people who don't like the smell of fish. I used to not like but now I am okay since I have to cook it and all. Here in Goa there is like no meal without fish. Every one eats fish curry rice for lunch here. It is traditional. When i came here for the first time in 2010, I did not like the Goan food, but now I am used to it and I have learnt how to make it too. Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day ahead.
• Vietnam
26 Aug 12
Oh ! I love fishs.It is not only delicous, but if you know how to do, it also give a very aromatic smell and attract more. Also, fishs contain Omega-3 helps prevent aging ( very suitable for women ^^ )