How to Choose Water to Eliminate Fishy Smell in Steamed Fish

As a Smart Hydration Specialist and Water Wellness Advocate, I always tell home cooks this: if your steamed fish smells “fishier” than it tastes, look at your water before you blame the fish. In test kitchens and home visits, I have seen the same pattern again and again. When the fish is reasonably fresh, most lingering odor problems come from how we clean it, what we soak it in, and what happens to the “fishy water” in the steamer.

In this guide, I will walk you through how fishy odor actually forms, what science says about using water to control it, and how to choose and use water at every step so your steamed fish comes to the table delicate, clean tasting, and far more inviting.

Why Steamed Fish Smells Fishy in the First Place

To choose the right water, you first need to understand what you are trying to wash away. A scientific review on aquatic products explains that classic “fishy” smell comes mainly from volatile nitrogen compounds such as trimethylamine (TMA) and other volatile basic nitrogen compounds, along with sulfur compounds and aldehydes formed as fish fat oxidizes. These compounds become stronger as the fish sits, is handled poorly, or warms up during storage.

A food science review highlights trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) as a key precursor. In fresh fish, TMAO is stable. As time passes and microbes start to work, TMAO is broken down into TMA, which has that “old fish” or ammonia-like scent many people dislike. A home-cooking article notes the same thing in more practical terms: the older the fish and the longer it sits uncooked, the more intense the smell becomes.

Another practical source of odor is physical, not just chemical. A culinary guide to fishy-odor removal points out that blood, internal organs, the dark or cloudy membrane lining the belly, and the slimy layer on the skin are major sources of smell. In freshwater or muddy fish, that slime layer can contribute an earthy, pond-like aroma that steaming alone will not fix.

The research review from food scientists also draws an important distinction. Fishy odor is not the same as rancid or rotten. Fishy notes mostly come from those light, volatile amines, while rancid smells come from oxidized fat and truly putrid smells come from advanced protein breakdown and sulfur compounds. In everyday cooking, that means if your fish already smells rotten before you start, no amount of water treatment will rescue it. The realistic goal is to reduce the milder “fishiness” so the natural sweetness of the fish and aromatics like ginger and scallions can shine.

The Hidden Ingredient: Water Quality And Steamed Fish Aroma

In food production, water is not just a neutral background. A chapter on water safety in food processing emphasizes that water used in any food operation must meet drinking-water standards and be free from undesirable taste, odor, color, and impurities. The authors stress that water quality is often underestimated and that this leads directly to problems in product quality and food safety.

When you steam fish at home, water plays three roles. It rinses the fish and your equipment, it becomes soaking or marinating liquid, and it turns into steam that cooks the fish and dissolves some of its juices. At every stage, the water can either help pull odor-causing compounds away, or it can add its own off notes and even recirculate fishy juices back into the dish.

This is why, even in traditional steamed fish recipes that do not explicitly talk about “water quality,” you see careful handling of water. Cantonese-style recipes collected on several cooking sites emphasize keeping the fish above the water so it is cooked by steam, not boiled in its own cloudy liquid. Some recipes instruct you to discard the steaming liquid before saucing the fish, because that liquid is where a lot of the stronger flavors and odors collect.

Safety First: Potable, Food-Grade Water Only

From a health perspective, the baseline requirement is simple. Any water that touches your fish or cooking surfaces should be potable drinking water. The food safety chapter in a PubMed Central book stresses that water used as an ingredient or in direct contact with food should be free from pathogenic microorganisms and chemical contamination, and should have no undesirable taste or odor.

At home, that means you should never use non-potable water from outdoor taps or questionable wells for rinsing fish, washing steaming plates, or diluting vinegar and lemon juice. If you are not fully confident in your tap water quality, using a certified home filtration system or a safe bottled source for cooking and rinsing fish is a sensible step. Steamed fish is a wet dish with little masking from heavy spices; any off flavor in the water is more likely to show up in the final bite.

Taste And Odor: What Your Water Brings To The Dish

From a flavor standpoint, the goal is neutral water. A food safety review notes that even as an ingredient, water should have no undesirable taste or odor. In practice, that means if you can smell strong chlorine, metal, or earthiness when you drink your tap water, you will probably notice the same notes in delicate dishes like steamed fish.

In my own testing with home cooks, when they switch from strongly flavored tap water to clean-tasting filtered water for soaking, steaming, and making sauces, they consistently describe the fish as “clearer” and “less muddy.” The fish itself has not changed; the background has. Because steamed fish is essentially a marriage of fish protein, aromatics, and water, any improvement in water quality directly improves the overall flavor profile.

If your tap water already tastes pleasant on its own, it is generally fine to use. If you dislike drinking it straight from the faucet, consider filtering it before you ask it to carry the delicate flavors of ginger, scallion, soy sauce, and white fish.

Using Water To Prep the Fish Before Steaming

The most powerful way to use water against fishy odor is before the fish ever meets the steamer. Several culinary and technical sources converge on the same theme: correct cleaning and brief soaking in the right liquids dramatically reduce odor.

Rinse And Clean Thoroughly

A practical guide to fishy-odor removal emphasizes meticulous cleaning. Scales, gills, intestines, and all organs should be removed, along with the dark or cloudy membrane lining the belly cavity. For some species like carp or tuna, the white strip along both sides of the bones is particularly smelly and should be trimmed away.

Once those physical sources are removed, rinse the fish under cool, potable water and pat it very dry. In Chinese steamed fish recipes, experienced cooks stress how much this matters. They recommend rinsing the interior thoroughly, especially near the gullet, because any leftover blood and gut tissue will intensify odor as soon as steam hits it.

For slimy freshwater fish such as catfish, tilapia, eel, and basa, the same fishy-odor guide suggests removing the slime layer by rubbing with safe abrasion such as kitchen-safe ashes or briefly pouring hot water over the skin and scraping. This is an old-fashioned technique, but it has a clear purpose: that slime traps odor compounds and off flavors. Removing it reduces fishiness before you ever reach for aromatics.

Salt Or Rice-Water Soaks: Gentle Deodorizing

Once the fish is cleaned, a short soak can help draw out remaining odor compounds. An Asian cooking article notes that soaking fish in diluted salt water for about fifteen minutes after cleaning can significantly reduce odor. For very fishy species such as carp, catfish, tilapia, and salmon, rubbing salt directly on the surface before rinsing is recommended as an extra step.

Another traditional method uses cloudy rice-washing water. After rinsing rice for cooking, the starchy water can be used to soak cleaned fish for a short period. The same guide explains that both salt water and rice-washing water help pull blood and basic amine compounds away from the surface. Because this is a mild, nearly neutral treatment, it is suitable for home cooks who want to soften fishiness without altering the flavor too dramatically.

From the hydration perspective, the key is time and strength. A brief fifteen-minute soak in lightly salted or rice-washing water is enough to freshen; longer soaks or very concentrated brines will start to change texture and might make delicate fish mushy.

Lemon, Vinegar, And White Wine: Acidic And Alcoholic Rinses

When fish smells strongly fishy or earthy, mild salt water may not be enough. This is where acids and a bit of alcohol can help. A culinary chemistry explanation from a cooking site clarifies why lemon juice and vinegar are so effective. Fishiness is largely driven by basic amines such as TMA. Acids like citric acid in lemon and acetic acid in vinegar react with these amines to form nonvolatile ammonium salts and water. In plain terms, the smelly molecules are neutralized into forms that do not evaporate easily, so they do not reach your nose.

The recommended procedure is straightforward. Clean and cut the fish, then dilute lemon juice or vinegar with water in a one-to-one ratio. Soak the fish for about five to ten minutes and rinse again. The same article warns against longer soaking times because the acid will start to denature proteins, leading to a ceviche-like effect and potentially wrinkled skin.

Flavor-wise, lemon gives a gentler sourness while vinegar is sharper. Cooks can choose one or combine both to match their taste while still getting solid deodorizing action.

White wine offers a slightly different mechanism. According to the fishy-odor guide, marinating cleaned fish in diluted white wine for about five to seven minutes helps reduce odors by forming fragrant esters when the wine reacts with acids in the fish. These esters have pleasant aromas that mask and complement the remaining fish notes. In gentle cooking methods like steaming or braising, adding a small amount of white wine to the cooking liquid also makes the flesh more aromatic and tender.

Inside the steamer, a drizzle of rice wine or Shaoxing wine on the fish before steaming is a classic Cantonese technique and is often described as a way to “remove fishiness” while adding fragrance. Multiple home-style recipes repeat this advice, and it aligns well with the chemistry behind wine-based deodorizing.

Quick Salt–Sugar Cure Followed By Ice Water

If you are short on time but still want to improve flavor, a technique cited from ChefSteps and summarized in a steaming guide on Food52 is useful. The method is to sprinkle the fish all over with a mix of salt and sugar and let it sit for about ten minutes until moisture beads on the surface. Then you plunge the fish into ice water before cooking.

The salt-and-sugar mixture briefly draws out surface moisture and some odor compounds, lightly seasons the fish, and firms up the exterior. The ice-water rinse resets the surface so the fish can then be steamed as usual. This is not a cure for badly aged fish, but it is an efficient pre-steaming step when you want a cleaner flavor and better texture in a short window.

What Goes Into The Steamer: Plain Water, Broth, And Aromatics

Once the fish is prepped, the next question is what should be in the pot underneath. The simplest answer is clean, neutral water, but you can use that water strategically.

Simple Clean Water Versus Flavorful Broth

Traditional Cantonese steamed fish involves placing the fish on a plate above a small amount of boiling water in a covered wok or pot. The water itself is typically plain. The fish juices collect on the plate, and after steaming the cook discards this cloudy liquid before adding a fresh soy-based sauce. The clear message is that the steaming liquid under the fish and the pooled juices on the plate are not where you want your final flavors to come from. They are where some of the stronger and less pleasant compounds end up.

In Teochew-style steamed fish described by one experienced home cook, there is an intentional twist. The fish is steamed together with preserved plums, fresh plums, tomatoes, ginger, scallions, and Chinese wine. In that case, the cook deliberately turns the steaming liquid into a tangy, savory soup that is served alongside the fish. Because strong acids and aromatics are present, the resulting broth is not fishy in a bad way; it is bright and appetizing.

From a water-choice perspective, both approaches require that the water used as a base be clean and neutral. If you plan to serve the steaming liquid as a broth, investing in good-tasting filtered water is even more important, since guests will taste that liquid directly.

Aromatics In The Steaming Water

A Hong Kong–inspired steamed fish technique published on a cooking site suggests adding aromatics such as star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and scallions directly to the steaming water. These aromatics lightly perfume the steam and build subtle layers of flavor around the fish. While their primary job is fragrance, they also contribute to the perception of reduced fishiness by giving your nose more pleasant molecules to register.

Thai-style steamed barramundi with lime and garlic, a popular dish described by a Thai food writer, takes this further. The fish is steamed plain, but the serving pan is then filled with a hot, soup-like sauce made from chicken stock, lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, chilies, palm sugar, and plenty of cilantro. Because the sauce is very sour and aromatic, diners experience the fish as bright and refreshing rather than fishy, even though the cooking method is simple steaming. Once again, water is at the core, this time in the form of stock turned into a highly seasoned liquid.

Managing “Fishy Water” And When To Pour It Off

One of the most practical water-related tips comes from a home cook’s social media video focused specifically on fishy smell when steaming fish. The cook suggests discarding the “fishy water” that collects around the fish halfway through steaming. In this context, fishy water means the liquid that seeps out of the fish as it cooks and collects on the plate or in the shallow bowl underneath.

Removing this mid-cook liquid has a clear logic. As the fish heats, some of the odor compounds dissolve into that liquid. If you pour it off carefully and continue steaming, you reduce the amount of concentrated fishy juice that is present when you later add sauce or aromatics. Cantonese recipes that discard the steaming liquid at the end of cooking are based on the same idea, just done in a single step.

There are tradeoffs. Pouring off liquid halfway means handling a hot plate and potentially losing a little moisture from the fish, so it requires care. For many home cooks, simply discarding the liquid once, right after steaming and before adding the finishing sauce, is enough to significantly clean up the aroma. If you are working with particularly earthy tilapia or other strong-tasting fish, combining a pre-steam acid or salt soak with end-of-steam liquid discarding is usually more practical and safer than trying to pour off hot liquid mid-steam.

Time, Temperature, And Odor: Why Gentle Steaming Helps

While this article focuses on water, cooking time and temperature interact closely with odor. Multiple steaming guides note that fish cooks quickly in steam, often in about eight to twelve minutes depending on thickness. A home-style Chinese recipe gives more specific guidance, suggesting that a fish under about 2 lb should be steamed on high heat for roughly six to fourteen minutes depending on weight, with thicker fish sometimes scored to ensure even heat penetration.

Another Cantonese-style guide suggests testing doneness not just by time, but by how easily a butter knife or chopsticks slide into the thickest part of the fish. When the tool meets little resistance and the flesh lifts easily from the bone, the fish is done.

From an odor perspective, overcooking is your enemy. A steaming guide on a smart cooking platform emphasizes moderate, steady heat and warns against lifting the lid repeatedly, which drops steam temperature and lengthens cook time. Longer exposure to heat and air accelerates oxidation and can intensify off flavors. When you cook fish gently and only until just done, you preserve sweetness and moisture and slow the formation of harsher odor compounds.

In practical terms, that means bringing your water to a full boil before you start, steaming with the lid on and the heat set to maintain a strong but steady boil, and avoiding unnecessary peeking. The better your control of heat and time, the less your kitchen and your fish will smell.

Kitchen Environment, Cleaning Water, And Lingering Smells

Even with perfect fish and steaming technique, your kitchen can hold onto fishy smells if the steamer, bamboo baskets, sink, and fridge are not cleaned properly. A candid essay on steaming salmon describes how a bamboo steamer retained a strong salmon odor for days, even after repeated scrubbing, and how the smell spread through a small apartment.

On the cleaning side, a detailed how-to guide on eliminating fish smell from a refrigerator shows how powerful simple cleaning solutions can be. The recommended process is to empty and clean the appliance thoroughly, wash surfaces with hot water and dish detergent, then use deodorizing solutions such as a mix of water and white vinegar or a solution of baking soda in water, and finally dry and air everything out. The same principles apply to steaming equipment.

After cooking fish, washing steamers, racks, plates, and cutting boards with hot water and mild detergent, followed by a rinse with a water–vinegar solution or a baking-soda solution, helps remove residual amines and oils. The earlier fishy-odor guide also notes that lemon and vinegar can deodorize tools and cutting boards because they neutralize odor-causing amines. Once again, the combination of water plus mild acid is doing the heavy lifting.

When Water Choice Alone Cannot Save The Fish

It is important to be realistic. Water, salt, acid, and aromatics are excellent tools for softening mild fishiness, but they cannot fully mask serious quality problems. A seafood article describing home cooking of fish without lingering smell points out that the main cause of strong fish odor is age. As fish sits, trimethylamine oxide breaks down into pungent compounds, and smell increases sharply. That article strongly recommends buying the freshest fish possible and cooking it the same day. If that is not feasible, vacuum-packed or properly frozen fish is a better choice than loosely wrapped fish that has been exposed to air.

Traditional steamed fish recipes echo this advice. Cooks stress that fresh, small whole fish are ideal for steaming and often suggest using frozen fish for frying instead if you cannot get very fresh specimens. They offer tips like checking that the eyes are clear and bright, the flesh is firm and springy, the skin is shiny and moist with tight scales, the gills are bright red or pink, and the smell is clean and sea-like, not sour or strongly fishy.

If your fish fails those basic tests, no amount of filtered water, vinegar, or wine will eliminate the smell entirely. In that situation, your safest and most pleasant option is often to choose a different fish or a different dinner.

Water-Based Techniques To Reduce Fishy Smell: At A Glance

You can think of each water-related step as a small “hurdle” that collectively leads to clean-tasting steamed fish. Here is a concise comparison of the main methods drawn from culinary practice and food science sources.

Each step uses water as a carrier, either to draw smelly compounds away, transform them chemically, or wash them off equipment. You do not have to use every method at once; even one or two well-chosen steps, combined with good fish and gentle steaming, usually make a noticeable difference.

Building A Water-Smart Routine For Odor-Free Steamed Fish

Putting everything together, here is how I guide home cooks toward a water-smart steamed fish routine that keeps both the dish and the kitchen smelling fresh.

Start with the fish itself. Buy the freshest fish you can, give it a quick smell test at the counter, and avoid anything that already smells strongly fishy or sour. Bring it home and store it cold, planning to cook it the same day when possible.

When you are ready to cook, set up a clean sink with cool, potable water. Thoroughly clean the fish, removing scales, gills, internal organs, dark membranes, and any visible blood along the backbone or belly. Rinse the cavity and surface carefully and pat the fish completely dry with clean towels. For very slimy freshwater fish, briefly treat the skin as recommended in traditional methods to remove the slime layer.

Next, choose a pre-steaming soak that matches the fish. For mild fish, a fifteen-minute soak in lightly salted or rice-washing water is usually enough to freshen the aroma. For stronger fish, a short soak in a mixture of lemon juice or vinegar and water, followed by a clean-water rinse, adds significant deodorizing power. If you prefer, a brief dilute white-wine marinade can deliver aroma and help mask remaining notes, particularly if you plan to use wine in the sauce.

Meanwhile, fill your steamer or wok with clean, good-tasting water and bring it to a full boil. If you want a lightly perfumed steam, add a few slices of ginger or some scallions to the water itself. Place the fish on a heatproof plate, elevated above the water on a rack, and avoid letting the fish sit directly in the liquid. Once the water is boiling, place the plate into the steamer, cover tightly, and steam steadily until the fish is just done.

When the fish is cooked, carefully remove the plate and pour off the cloudy steaming liquid that has collected around it. This is where much of the stronger smell resides. Discarding it and replacing it with a fresh, hot sauce based on light soy, ginger, scallions, and a little sesame oil gives you a clean, fragrant presentation.

Finally, treat your kitchen equipment with the same respect. Wash steamers, racks, cutting boards, and knives with hot water and mild soap, then use a diluted vinegar or baking-soda rinse on surfaces that have absorbed odor. Let everything dry thoroughly. This simple water-and-cleaner routine dramatically reduces lingering fish smells in the fridge and around the sink, as practical cleaning guides have shown.

FAQ: Water And Fishy Smell In Steamed Fish

Does filtered water really make steamed fish taste less fishy?

If your tap water already tastes fresh and neutral, filtered water may not make a dramatic difference. However, if your tap water has a noticeable chlorine, metallic, or earthy flavor, using filtered or otherwise improved drinking water for rinsing, soaking, steaming, and mixing sauces often produces a cleaner, more delicate taste. Since steamed fish is a very “transparent” dish, any off note in the water is easier to notice.

Can I reuse rice-washing water or soaking water for steaming?

It is best not to. Rice-washing water used for soaking fish will contain blood, surface proteins, and some of the odor compounds that have been pulled out. Using that same water as the steaming liquid would simply recirculate those compounds back into the dish. For steaming, always switch back to fresh, potable water or a clean broth that you are comfortable tasting on its own.

Is it safe to eat the liquid that collects around the fish after steaming?

If you start with safe fish and potable water, the liquid is generally safe. However, traditional Cantonese recipes often discard it because it is cloudy, sometimes bitter, and carries concentrated fishiness. Teochew-style preparations are an exception; they intentionally build a soup-like broth around the fish by adding plums, tomatoes, and wine. For everyday steamed fish where the goal is a clean aroma, discarding the plain steaming liquid and replacing it with a freshly made sauce is usually the better choice.

Thoughtful water choices transform steamed fish from “a bit too fishy” into something bright, aromatic, and genuinely inviting. Treat water as a key ingredient, from cleaning to soaking to steaming and washing up, and you will not just protect your family’s health and hydration—you will also unlock the pure, gentle flavor that makes steamed fish such a beloved, healthful dish.

References

1. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7150035/
2. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378068965_Strategies_to_reduce_fishy_odor_in_aquatic_products_Focusing_on_formation_mechanism_and_mitigation_means
3. https://auntieemily.com/chinese-steamed-fish/
4. https://smart.dhgate.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-perfectly-steamed-fish-techniques-and-flavor-tips/
5. https://www.eatingthaifood.com/steamed-fish-with-lime-and-garlic-recipe/
6. https://food52.com/story/16862-learn-to-steam-fish-never-overcook-it-again
7. https://www.lemon8-app.com/@joatmon.sg/7327544595460489730?region=sg
8. https://rasamalaysia.com/steamed-fish-recipe/
9. https://theburningkitchen.com/how-to-steam-fish-to-perfection/
10. https://www.themakermakes.com/blog/cantonese-steamed-fish-with-ginger-and-spring-onion

About the author

Dr. Elena Brooks

Certified Water Quality SpecialistEnvironmental ScientistSmart Home Wellness Advocate

Environmental scientist turned smart home expert. Elena decodes the science of hydration to help modern families choose technology that supports long-term health.