Summer is the season for eating crayfish. There are many ways to prepare crayfish, but improper consumption can easily lead to food poisoning. To eat crayfish more safely, it's important to learn more and know how to select and consume them for the healthiest and safest experience. Here, let's introduce what you need to pay attention to when selecting and eating crayfish.
Things to know when selecting crayfish
Pay attention to regional differences. To make high-quality lobster dishes, you must choose crayfish from good waters. These crayfish are large, have firm and elastic meat, and rarely have any off-flavors. The cooked crayfish easily retain the fresh flavor of the shrimp meat.
Healthy crayfish from regular aquaculture are complete in shape, uniform in size, with the head and body each accounting for about half. They are red, bright, and clean, with clean abdominal and claw hair, and a clean, white abdomen. Crayfish from polluted waters are uneven in size, with large heads and small bodies. Their color is reddish-brown or iron-red, the joints are dirty, the abdominal hair is dirty, and the head may have dirt or parasites. Given the current environmental conditions, wild crayfish have a higher chance of being polluted. Check the shape after cooking. When eating cooked crayfish in a restaurant, if you find the crayfish tail is straight, it means these crayfish were dead before being put in the pot. If it's curved and the body is coiled, with firm and chewy meat, it indicates it was made from live crayfish and is safe to eat.
Pay attention to the freshness of the crayfish. Although crayfish are strong, they are difficult to transport and die easily. Like eels and crabs, they are high-protein foods that spoil quickly once dead. Even with the most advanced cooking techniques, the shrimp meat will be loose, dry, and unpleasant to eat, so dead crayfish must absolutely not be eaten.
Crayfish farmed in areas with good water quality have no腐败 (fǔ bài - rotten) or metallic tastes, but have a natural, fresh, and fishy smell. In contrast, polluted crayfish have a metallic or rotten smell.
At the same time, what else should you pay attention to when eating crayfish?
Essential rules for eating crayfish
Don't eat the head, as it contains the most toxins. "The head of the crayfish must never be eaten," experts remind us. The head is the part that absorbs and processes the most toxins and is also the most likely part to accumulate pathogens and parasites.
Crayfish must be cooked thoroughly. Crayfish in restaurants are usually cooked with the head on. In a polluted environment, crayfish have a strong ability to absorb substances, and they may absorb heavy metals harmful to the human body. After absorbing heavy metals, the head will naturally form a "sac" to encapsulate them. Similarly, the crayfish head is the part most likely to harbor parasites, so it must be removed before eating. High-temperature cooking is required to completely kill parasites, so crayfish must be steamed or boiled for 30-40 minutes. If crayfish are processed by roasting, stir-frying, or marinating, there is a risk of contracting paragonimiasis after consumption.
Before cooking at home, raise them in clean water for 24 hours. Experts say that when cooking crayfish at home, they must be cooked thoroughly at high temperature. You can judge if they are cooked by observing whether the cross-section of the shrimp meat has a consistent color. It is recommended to raise them in clean water for about 24 hours before cooking to allow the shrimp to excrete metabolic waste. Additionally, use a brush to clean the dirt on their bodies. The intestinal line, which hides a lot of sediment and bacteria, must also be completely removed, and then the crayfish should be thoroughly washed with clean water 2-3 times.
Do not consume with medicinal wine. Improper consumption of crayfish itself carries a risk of inducing rhabdomyolysis syndrome. Combined with the effects of medicinal wine, it can likely increase the chances of poisoning. Mild cases may manifest as muscle pain and fatigue, while severe cases can lead to rhabdomyolysis, acute renal failure, and even be life-threatening.
When eating crayfish in the summer, be sure to pay close attention to the points mentioned above.