MadSci Network: Chemistry
Query:

Re: making gaffilta fish from white fish?

Date: Thu Apr 13 15:07:16 2000
Posted By: Dan Berger, Faculty Chemistry/Science, Bluffton College
Area of science: Chemistry
ID: 955056164.Ch
Message:

I was wondering how I could minimize the awful smell when making gaffilta fish from white fish? I heard that if I put little bowls of vinegar all over the room it would absorb the smell. I dfon't know if I buy it. I would appreciate all of the help I can get. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Grandma

putrescine and cadaverine Dear Grandma,

The odor of fish (and of other dead animals) is caused by amines, with such wonderful names as putrescine and cadaverine, formed by the breakdown of more complex molecules which were part of the proteins and DNA of the animal when it was alive.

Now amines are chemical bases, and will react with acids like vinegar or lemon juice. The trick to destroying the odor of fish is to treat the fish with vinegar or lemon juice--one reason pickled fish is so popular. Putting out bowls of vinegar (a volatile acid) should help keep the odor of fish (caused by volatile amines) out of your kitchen. Of course, you need to decide which is worse... the fish smell or the vinegar!

But acids will kill amine odors dead. I can vouch for this; I have my students perform an experiment every year in which they use large quantities of a rather smelly amine. They do their cleanup with dilute acid, and it works beautifully as long as their cleanliness standard is "it doesn't smell any more."

Dan Berger
Bluffton College
http://cs.bluffton.edu/~berger



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