We’ve all been in the situation where we ask the purveyor, fish counter person: When did that piece of fish come in? How many times have you heard the answer: Just this morning. Or, maybe they say, last evening. Our suspicions run to the top burner as we are never certain. Oh, yes, there are obvious eye tests of freshness as in color, shape, and form. Some people even like to touch the fish to test its firmness and maybe even smell it. Nothing holds a candle to the newest advance that promises greater reliability.

Now there is a freshness indicator that will put our anxiety into check. Fresh Direct, the New York City full-service grocery delivery service has adopted a star rating system to help consumers select the best fish for the day they want delivery. The Daily Seafood Rating System (which is similar to their produce rating program) takes the guesswork out of selection and makes meal planning almost effortless. The company believes that more consumers will venture beyond their “regular fish selections” and depend on the rating system to try different products.

There are guides and an abundance of recipes to help us sort through the taste differences and cooking methods (click on the link for recipes) for a broad range of fish. Hopefully, in the not too distant future, a fish rating system will become an industry standard.

Then we can just select the fish and not ask the question.