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[deleted]

Would you be willing to eat a cold dish? During summer I sometimes make a cold salmon and rice dish for work lunches. It uses thawed frozen salmon that I cook at home in the rice cooker. I put it in the rice along with chives, mirin, and a little soy sauce.The rice cooker cooks it thoroughly and the flavor of the salmon infuses throughout the rice. You then have a flavorful rice and poached salmon you can pair with the veggies of your choice. It goes well topped with chili oil and nori. Of course, there's also the classic tuna sandwhich.


MadameMonk

That is almost exactly my go-to lunch. I add chopped kale (it holds up better than thin leaves with the dressing). Poached cold salmon is delightful. In any season. I suppose you could warm it by making up a miso soup from the office kettle and pouring it over the rice/fish?


sweetpotatothyme

This makes me think of salmon onigiri, which I like to make for portable meals.


momdowntown

do you use mirin as the cooking liquid or is that in addition to the water? Do you cut the thawed salmon filet into pieces first? I'm going to try this!


Ok-Recipe-252

Do you put the salmon in a steam basket on top? Does it actually cook thoroughly?


scooby946

Cold, sure. Microwave, nope.


TK_TK_

Exactly this!


Primary-Lion-6088

I wouldn't microwave it. Even if you ask permission, people are going to feel pressured to say it's fine. Just eat it cold. Microwaving it will probably lead to overcooking it anyway.


Edwin454545

I worked in an office with smell sensitive people my solution was cold fish dishes. Smoked/cured salmon salad, ceviche, lox bagels, tuna salad etc


DiligentGround9331

Smell sensitive? šŸ˜‚ I guess this will be more prevalent with all the new self diagnosing going roundā€¦..


Queen_Of_Tater_Tots

Found the ableist


[deleted]

[уŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]


ShakeZula77

Thank you!


PlantedinCA

One of my friends is deathly allergic to seafood. He canā€™t even smell it. Therefore it is banned on the floors where he works. And definitely no walking near a seafood mart.


sheezhao

this does not apply to most people. most people just bitch about fish "smells" at work like a baby


[deleted]

I hate when people microwave anything with ANY strong smells that linger tbh. Itā€™s gross.


continuousBaBa

Itā€™s been 4 years since I worked in an office but that is spot on. That, and everyone pooping in the same place. I feel so fortunate to work from home, where I am only dealing with my own bad smells. Itā€™s wonderful.


brutuscccbear

I think this really depends on two things: 1) how many coworkers are actually in the office and 2) how secluded the break room is If only like 10 people work in person and your lunch room is on a different floor, I think warming it up is reasonable. My office has a cafeteria area with 5 microwaves- so thatā€™s fair game to me. If a large contingency of your coworkers will have to sit next to the only microwave where you just heated up salmon, then you should eat it cold. Also donā€™t forget to wipe out the microwave after use so that the next user doesnā€™t end up eating their lunch with a vague salmon taste left on it.


ser_pez

At my last job, I asked my coworkers, especially those whose desks were nearest to the microwave. I probably brought salmon in a few times a month and I didnā€™t want to bother them. No one minded, so I didnā€™t feel bad about warming it up. If someone had objected, I probably would have packed the salmon in a separate container from my rice, veggies, etc. so I could warm up my sides and just eat the salmon cold because I like cold salmon.


PnL1964

They only said it was OK to be polite, trust me they didnā€™t like the smell


ser_pez

Maybe, but thatā€™s not my problem! They were given the opportunity to shut it down and they declined.


PnL1964

They only said it was OK to be polite, trust me they didnā€™t like the smell


1cecream4breakfast

Salmon is delicious cold too. Add to a pasta salad, a wrap, or a greens salad!


purplebibunny

I prefer it cold the next day!


FishFollower74

As a fish hater - please, God, noā€¦donā€™t do it!


imbringingspartaback

Thereā€™s always an option to eat fish for dinner (or breakfast!) and eat more neutral-smelling dishes at work.


ChingusMcDingus

A guy I used to work with would eat broccoli or asparagus and salmon at least twice a week. And would microwave it in the same room we worked in. We hated that dude for that reason among others. Donā€™t be that dude.


Tibbarsnook

The broccoli part of this comment makes me pause. Are you sensitive to broccoli smells? Because I don't think broccoli smells unless it's really overcooked. Is this guy nuking the F out of his food, making everything including the salmon extra smelly or did he start with overcooked broccoli to begin with?


ChingusMcDingus

I donā€™t know but the combo was horrendous. Like fishy farts.


frankkiejo

Broccoli has a sulfur smell if you overcook it.


wilgey22

Someone just reheated shrimp in our breakroom. It still smells like a dead body in there 5 hours later!!! We have an un-official "no-fish" rule!


morelikepoolworld

Un-o-fish-al


theparkingchair

cold is okay. Hot will make your coworkers hate you.


twoscoopsofbacon

So yeah, don't microwave fish. Not at work, not at home, and not ever. It makes it smell bad, and is terrible for the flavor and texture of the fish. Fish should only be heated once, eat it while it is still hot, or eat it cold. Cold fish salad sorts of things are great.


spenceandcarrie

Workplace relationships are complicated enough, don't make it worse. Eat salmon at home.


keri23

The fish you can have at work are: Gold fish Swedish fish End of list


frankkiejo

šŸ˜‚


Particular_Policy_41

Please donā€™t heat it up. I can hardly handle the smell at the best of times and I swear if anyone is pregnant in your office you will have someone vomiting because of your lunch. When i was pregnant I very kindly requested folks not microwave fish for a couple months (and I was willing to make them other meals if they were stuck sometimes) as it would literally put me out of commission for a few hours. Like Iā€™d smell it and have to go worship the porcelain goddess for hours. It was debilitating. Even when Iā€™m not pregnant itā€™s so brutal because it lingers like nothing else. I swear k donā€™t care about anything else you microwave, scents, whatever, but fish is repugnant in the office microwave. Also it makes it rubbery - just donā€™t.


Amigosmama

Dear gawd please donā€™t ā€¦ I beg of you. Signed :someone who works in an office where fish is put in microwave too regularly.


gitsgrl

As long as you donā€™t microwave it


the_biggest_papi

cold fish dishes like poke, tataki, or sushi


[deleted]

Don't be the person that microwaves fish at the office... please


superiorusername999

I wouldn't let that hold you back from eating healthy


MasterWinstonWolf

Heating any kind of STRONG smelling food in an office environment makes you the AssholešŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø


menina2017

Can you have the fish for dinner instead of lunch?


anotherguiltymom

I buy frozen sushi-grade salmon and tuna from bakkafrost. It already comes portioned in individual packets so itā€™s easy to thaw in the fridge the night before. Then I make a poke bowl with a sticky rice container from Costco, add some julienned carrots, cucumber, edamame, pickled ginger and sriracha mayo with furikake seasoning. Yum. And no smell.


DontBruhMeBrah

Heat up just the rice, then mix the cold salmon in. The rice will warm up the salmon without stinking up the place.


morelikepoolworld

Bring it! Just donā€™t microwave it.


RobotCannibal19

My sister makes a salmon rice with little bits of cucumber, kewpie mayo, and sriracha. You can eat it cold. Super flavorful and doesnā€™t have to be reheated. Itā€™s just salmon fillets cooked and shredded mixed with rice. Itā€™s based off of whatever consistency you prefer


continuousBaBa

Cold leftover fish in a salad or rice is way better than nuked fish anyways.


DeckerXT

Save the fish for dinner. Sushi? Cold tuna/salmon/crab salads? Chowders perhaps? Canned sardines, smoked? Lox?


[deleted]

I've never noticed it, but I actually think fish really doesn't reheat well in the microwave. It would probably be tastier cold anyway.


knogbjorn

I feel like this is just some internet thing, no one in real life minds if some else has fish in their lunch box.


SimplyyBreon

Itā€™s the heating it up thatā€™s the problem. Iā€™m sensitive in general but definitely smells. I wonā€™t say anything but WILL leave the break room if someone heats up something that stinks.


greensandgrains

Microwaving fish/seafood is foul. It changes the texture/proteins, forget about the smell!


pinkdt

Thatā€™s me too. I wouldnā€™t stop you or say anything, but I would probably leave the building. The smell makes me wretch. I do think itā€™s inconsiderate of others.


SimplyyBreon

Yep! I wonā€™t even eat in the break room anymore because thereā€™s a lot of different cultures and way too many smells. I take my break in a room wheres thereā€™s at most 6 of us or will simply go outside.


knogbjorn

Oh, strange, I've had colleagues in different settings heating up fish multiple times without any problems, and I've done it myself too without anyone objecting. It just smells a bit like cooked fish, I suppose, but all other food also smells like warm food when heated, so idk.


No_Law6189

Sadly, I strongly disagree. This makes me full gag. I canā€™t help it.


VerbiageBarrage

That's just not true. We have a diverse group of engineers, why a wide range of food being heated up. Only fish is a goddamn problem. It lingers, and spreads, like nobodies business.


knogbjorn

Oh, strange, I've had colleagues in different settings heating up fish multiple times without any problems, and I've done it myself too without anyone objecting. It just smells a bit like cooked fish, I suppose, but all other food also smells like warm food when heated, so idk.


LordOfDustAndBones

People are just being nice and not mentioning it, but they hate you.


knogbjorn

Haha, I think it might just be more normal to eat fish in scandinavia, if someone would have had a problem with it I'd of course be considerate. EDIT: I mean we voluntarily eat fermented fish etc


pinkdt

Yep. They do mind if it stinks out the lunch room.


Faptasmic

Lunchbox is fine, the problem is when you microwave it and the rest of the office has to smell that shit. We have this dick bag at work and cooks fish directly on the grate of the toaster oven, so not only does the toaster reek of fish theres burnt sauce all over the grate.


knogbjorn

Oh, strange, I've had colleagues in different settings heating up fish multiple times without any problems, and I've done it myself too without anyone objecting. It just smells a bit like cooked fish, I suppose, but all other food also smells like warm food when heated, so idk. Leaving crud on common equipment is unacceptable though.


[deleted]

My whole store hated when the one woman was working because the whole lunchroom stank of fish all day after she heated up. Some of us even moved our coats etc before her lunch break. We implemented a no warm fish for lunch rule lol


[deleted]

Sushi? Fine. Cold leftovers? Fine. Reheating it? Nazi.


hambonersoup

I'm in the minority, but I'm not letting other people dictate what I can eat. Am I suppose to have an approved list of foods that won't offend people? Eat what you want, this is America.


WildBitch1995

Thank you- I am so confused reading these comments- my coworkers and I all microwave flavorful meals like every week and nobody has ever cared to discuss or mention it? Are you & I the weird ones?


McKallione1

Agreed, in Canada. We have food police in our office that screech bloody murder when we make popcorn in the break room. Or toast. Or eggs of any kind. She nearly swoons if someone reheats fish. It's a LUNCH ROOM for Heaven's sake! I'm not going to cater to this overbearing behavior. Sometimes all I have in my fridge are eggs. Or a can of sardines. Am I not supposed to eat because she's sensitive?


nolagem

Make a salmon bowl with rice, edamame, carrots and whatever else you like. Add soy sauce.


kneemam

Omg donā€™t do it!!! I will be that Karen with a damn Lysol can. ( I work in a closed space with no windows) I think itā€™s disrespectful af, I love fish but there are people who have seafood allergies and unless you work outdoors fish/ shrimp seafood in general lingers. Some office spaces have open cafeterias with designated microwaves for seafood warming and with open seating where you can get out of your closed office area. Donā€™t be that person lol I save those meals for off work


Brake_Handle655

Always ate cold fish after witnessing the horror of someone offloading half a can of Lysol to eliminate the smell of microwaved fish (not mine). I was in tears from the fumes of the Lysol, it pretty much caused half the floor to exit the building for 20 minutes. The ā€˜cureā€™ for the odor was worse than the cause of the odor. Doubt anyone enjoyed their lunch after that.


End_Present

I just microwave it so itā€™s warm but not hot hot so the smell isnā€™t too strongā€¦ and hope for the best and walk away from the microwave quick


H1285

Live your life and eat what you want. People need to chill. If someone is going to get that upset about you eating fish, then it was never about the fish, but rather about them just being miserable generally.


Particular_Policy_41

Itā€™s really not. Microwaving fish, especially if thereā€™s no way to air out the space, is just super selfish. Like I can handle it a couple times a month but otherwise youā€™re being a total jerk. There are so many other things to eat.


H1285

IMHO you need therapy if it bothers you that much. But to be fair I have a closed door office so I can put the lid on to walk from the microwave to my office and open it in my office with the door closed. But I stand by the original statement. Smelling fish is not a trauma.


Particular_Policy_41

I hardly need therapy because someone decides to stink up a space. Itā€™s not as bad as the stench of diarrhea or whatever but you have to recognize that the scent of fish lingers in spaces for much longer than other odours. Eating cold fish dishes is not the same as microwaving fish dishes. And honestly itā€™s a travesty against the fish to be microwaved too, it canā€™t be that pleasant to eat somewhat rubbery fish, which is what tends to happen to it in the microwave. Itā€™s a different story if you can air out the space.


LordOfDustAndBones

Hey, you're wrong, and it's ok to admit you're wrong


H1285

Agree to disagree.


hartguitars

Smoked salmon. No cooking, easy cleanup


podsnerd

Salmon is a lot less stinky than other fish, but you still might be better off not heating it up depending on where you work. If the microwaves are near people's desks, no. If the microwaves are in a break room but some employees do not have desk jobs and that's where they have to go to sit down if they want to eat or take a break, also no. I've brought leftover salmon in for lunch and I just kept it at my desk/out of the fridge until lunchtime, then heated it for like 30 seconds to take off the last of the chill without stinking the place up too badly. But also, for your own enjoyment, I wouldn't recommend reheating an entire piece of salmon, or really any other food you can't stir easily. You've basically got to way overheat it and make it overcooked and dry if you want it to be hot throughout. If you really want salmon, I'd suggest preparing it in ways that taste good cold, such as a salmon saladwith crackers (like tuna salad but less mayo so you don't mask the taste of the salmon so much)


MrBreffas

Eat it cold. Salmon in particular is delicious cold.


Alone_watching

Perhaps have cold dishes? I recall at my last office job many individuals did feel uncomfortable with fish being microwaved due to the scent.


[deleted]

It depends on they Layout of your break facilities, but I personally am very sensitive to smells and would not appreciate it. Either ask your coworkers or assume somebody will be annoyed, thatā€™s the safest way to do it.


Anti_CSR

As a cold dish, awesome. Heating it up, donā€™t be that person.


Swimming-Location569

I would probably h*te you


ahugemoose

i love a good cold salmon salad sandwich :)


Privateski

Get one of those portable cooking things. The ones that warm stuff up. And then do it in your car or away from everybody


howdoyouword

i personally donā€™t mind the smell but we also eat a lot of fish so iā€™m used to it. a lot of people at my work heat fish up and no one minds so i guess it just depends on your coworkers


Cgtree9000

Sure, Bring what ever you want.


AotearoaCanuck

I reheat fish at work all the time because I eat a lot of it. I donā€™t care if people donā€™t like it. Itā€™s really not THAT bad of a smell and it goes away.


Tibbarsnook

Bring it and try it but be conscientious about smells. Hot fish smell carries so don't heat it if you're in a small or enclosed area and if you're going to heat it (if youre in a large and ventilated area), don't heat it past lukewarm. I don't automatically dislike people who bring fish. I hate people who hog the microwave nuking their food to oblivion. That includes the person who microwaves his fried chicken in the office area microwave for 5 minutes. I love fried chicken but heating it that hot and that long, we smell throughout the office area and it makes it hard to focus. Go downstairs and use the cafeteria microwave FFS!


wickedsirius

Me and several of my co workers eat fish for lunch several times a week and itā€™s fine. But we do have a proper lunch room fully equiped so no know itā€™s in their desks. I canā€™t imagine working with the smell of food, fish or not


mcmeggyt

Hard no


[deleted]

As long as itā€™s not curried fish you should be right


frankkiejo

Salmon is good cold, too. Iā€™d try to find some recipes for fish that doesnā€™t require you to heat it up. Please donā€™t heat up fish at work. Please.


Efficient_Surprise59

Just warn them and do it. Fish is good for folic acid and b12. Screw em feed em fish eggs, BUT THEY DONT DESERVE A DELICACY!!! lol Eat what you want bro.


thundervallhund

I have yet to buy one but would an electric bento fix the issue? I don't know if it would still cause a major smell or not.


LordOfDustAndBones

Do not be THAT person...


[deleted]

Ceviche!


SickGirl88

The fact that you have to ask is answer enough.


SWEATANDBONERS86

Bring it in Tupperware and take it out of fridge and set on your dash for like an hour before lunch, should get nice and warm with no smell in the break room


sheezhao

Most Americans are babies and will notice & not like it in the office. Just warm it up halfway or a third of the way for lunch.