Meat, fish, eggs, and poultry are the traditional "Four Greats" of New Year's goods, and attention should be paid to hygiene when selecting them.
Meat: You can use the method of "look, touch, and smell". The meat should be bright red, shiny, with a slightly dry film on the surface, not sticky. The texture should be firm and elastic, with no indentation left after pressing. Otherwise, you should check if it has expired.
Fish: Fresh fish have their mouths tightly closed and clean inside. The gills are bright red and the gill covers are closed. The fish eyes are full, slightly protruding, with a transparent and shiny cornea. The scales are clearly textured and shiny. Most importantly, the fish's body surface has a clean, transparent layer of mucus. The fish's body and flesh are firm, solid, and elastic.
Eggs: Fresh eggshells are smooth, brightly colored, and covered with a powdery frost. They feel heavy in the hand.
Poultry: Fresh poultry have shiny, dry, and non-sticky beaks. The eyes are full in their sockets with a shiny cornea. The oral mucosa is a normal, light rose color, shiny, clean, and odorless. The skin is dry and slightly shrunken, with a slight reddish tint. The muscles are firm and elastic, with the neck and leg muscles being rose-red. A good quality bird has plump, shiny feathers, thick breast meat, and a bright red comb. It is considered good if it makes a sound when tapped on its back.
In addition, offal and sausages are also essential for many households, and there are certain techniques for selecting them. Experts explain, for example, for liver: fresh liver is brown or purple, shiny, smooth, and slightly elastic. For tripe: fresh tripe is slightly yellowish-white with a luster, firm yet soft, with abundant mucus and no odor. For kidney: fresh kidney is light red, firm and tough, shiny, and elastic, with a film on the surface. For heart: fresh heart is light red, and when pressed, it exudes bright red blood.