It is currently Ramadan, Passover (Easter) starts tonight for Jewish people and for Christians, Easter is this weekend, with seafood taking center stage, especially on Good Friday.

To meet demand, the Sydney Fish Market will be open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, April 7, after which it will return to its usual 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. opening hours for the rest of the long weekend.

But when it comes to choosing seafood, the trick is to buy fresh and local, so we asked the Sydney Fish Market team for their tips on what’s best to eat this Easter and how to pick the right one .

This is what they said.

Yes, everyone loves to buy Tasmanian salmon, but you can get them just about anywhere, including your local supermarket.

The really good tackle comes from NSW suppliers including fishing cooperatives in coastal towns such as Newcastle, Nowra, Ulladulla, Bermagui, Wallis Lake, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.

4 of the best this Easter

• Octopus (from Coffs Harbour, Macleay and Bermagui).
• Mud and blue swimmer crabs (from Wallis Lake, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Macleay, Ballina,
  and the Hawkesbury).
• Yellowfin bream (from the Clarence River and Wallis Lake).
• Gray mackerel (from Ulladulla, Coffs Harbor and the Clarence River).

So how do you choose the freshest seafood like a pro?

The trick is to use all your senses and take a closer look at everything in your eye (ask the staff at the market for gloves if you like).

Here are 5 things to check for

• Look for shiny, glossy-looking skin or scales, firm, intact flesh (with no spots or cracks), and bright, pink-red gills. Make sure that all mussel or pipi shells are closed, or close by tapping gently.
• Touch the flesh of the fish to make sure it feels firm and springs back when pressed. Make sure crabs feel heavy for their size.
• Listen to make sure there is no sound of sloshing water in crabs when gently shaken.
• Taste the prawns you are considering buying – the staff will give you one to try!
• And most importantly, smell everything you plan to buy. It should smell fresh and clean – not fishy! If something is wrong, your nose will tell you.

Talk to your fishmonger

They know which varieties came in fresh that morning and what is in season. So ask for advice as they may even suggest a fish you’ve never tried or something cheaper.

Lesser-known species are also often more sustainable. (E.g. Mirror dory can be half the price of John dory).

If you are not an expert they can also give cooking tips and if you are concerned about bones you can ask them to fillet your whole fish.