The weather is getting hotter and it’s crawfish eating season again.
Sitting around in the cool breeze at night, eating while peeling, it’s a great taste. But here comes the problem.
As one of the most popular summer foods, crawfish is also “right and wrong” and rumors about it are endless. While salivating over its deliciousness, the thought of whether it is unhealthy or not is on the mind.
- Can the head of a crawfish be eaten?
- I hear crawfish are dirty and piled high with excrement and parasites?
- The shrimp yolk is so tempting. Can I eat it?
My friends, do you have a lot of questions? Now, I’ll answer those for you.
Crawfish dirty? With a lot of parasites?
Crayfish, origin: southern United States and northern Mexico, introduced to China via Japan in the 1930s.
Crayfish have a strong ability to survive and reproduce, even when living in other sewage polluted water environments.
As a result, people mistakenly believe that crawfish live in sewage, or that the crawfish we eat are farmed in sewage.
However, the crawfish now on the market are basically artificially farmed, with very little proportion in the wild.
In recent years, China’s food safety supervision has become stronger and stronger, and the relevant standards have become more and more improved.According to some provinces and cities in recent years, the market sampling results show that the vast majority of commercially available crayfish heavy metal, pesticide residue levels are within the safety limits.
At present, the water quality of crawfish farming in line with “fisheries water quality standards”, marketed crawfish are in line with “NY 5158-2005 pollution-free food freshwater shrimp” standard requirements. As long as the crawfish is properly sourced and thoroughly cooked, you don’t have to worry too much about safety.
Can a crawfish head be eaten or not?
It’s not recommended!
In general, heavy metals in water enter the body of crayfish through channels such as gill breathing or ingestion, and are enriched in different tissues. Shrimp meat has the lowest concentration of heavy metals, with the highest concentration in the shell and digestive organs.
Because tissues such as the liver and gills are located in the head of the crayfish, overall, the head is indeed prone to heavy metal enrichment and is a hiding place for microbial parasites.
At present crawfish farming water quality in line with the “fisheries water quality standards”, marketed crawfish are in line with the “NY 5158-2005 pollution-free food freshwater shrimp” standard requirements. As long as the crawfish is properly sourced and thoroughly cooked, you don’t have to worry too much about safety.
Therefore, eating crayfish heads is not recommended.
Does the shrimp line have to go?
Suggest removing it!
Shrimp threads are the digestive tracts of shrimp that contain undigested food residue and excrement that doesn’t get out in time. Although it is theoretically sterilized when cooked, it is psychologically difficult for many people to accept and can affect the taste.
So, it is recommended to remove the shrimp threads while cleaning.
What’s the shrimp yellow in a crawfish?
Shrimp yolk is neither shrimp seeds nor shrimp feces; it is the liver and pancreas of the crawfish. The bile is a detoxifying organ, and of course is prone to heavy metal enrichment, which inevitably carries some parasites.
Shrimp yolk is best discarded with the head, don’t eat it!
In summary, crawfish heads are not recommended, nor are shrimp yolks, and it’s best to remove the threads before cooking!
Spicy crawfish is one of the most popular summer delicacies in China and paired with a cold beer, you’ll love every summer evening.