IQF, Bulk Frozen, Previously Frozen, Fresh… what do these terms mean?

When buying fish, I always recommend Fresh, but sometimes that may not be available, or you may need a cheaper alternative. So when you need to buy fish, you should at least know what you are getting.

Fresh- This means that the product has never been frozen and should be at the highest levels of flavor and quality. Ask your fish monger when it came in. Preferably they will tell you the same day or the day before. Anything past that point is questionable.

IQF- Is an acronym for ‘individually quick frozen’. That means that immediately after being filleted or steaked, the product was frozen. This is not a slow freezing process but rather one that very quickly lowers the temperature of the product to freezing. Aside from ‘fresh this is the next best thing. You can ask your fish monger whether an item was IQF if you are unsure.

Bulk Frozen- This indicates a product that was processed all at the same time and then frozen. While it usually doesn’t connote that it is lower quality than IQF, it can in certain situations affect the flavor and especially the texture. The main drawback to bulk frozen or ‘block’ frozen items is the tendancy of the flesh of the fish to be torn or mushy when separated from the entire block.

Previously Frozen- These items are usually displayed in cases for immediate purchase. They are items that were frozen and are in a state of being thawed. Feel free to ask when they were thawed and if you are not going to use them within 24 hours, ask instead for the frozen version which your fish monger should have on hand.