[Smart Farmers] How good are Chinese people at eating? The "shrimp tribe" on the table

As the saying goes, "If you want to be healthy, eat more fish, shrimp, shellfish, crabs and algae." In recent years, the concept of eating fish for health has been deeply rooted in people's minds. The word "fish" refers to all seafood and aquatic products, including today's protagonist - shrimp. "Shrimp" refers to the big shrimp, small shrimp, sea shrimp and river shrimp we often say. "Shrimp" is a general term, which can be divided into many species and different families, all of which belong to the class Crustacea of ​​the phylum Arthropoda of the animal kingdom.

Shrimp is rich in nutrition, soft and easy to digest. It is an excellent food for people who are weak or need to recuperate after illness. It is rich in protein, fat, carbohydrates, glutamic acid, sugars, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, niacin and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and selenium, among which glutamic acid has the highest content. The rich magnesium contained in the meat can protect the cardiovascular system well, reduce the cholesterol content in the blood, prevent arteriosclerosis, and dilate the coronary artery, which is beneficial to prevent hypertension and myocardial infarction. In addition, shrimp meat has the effects of nourishing the kidney and strengthening yang, promoting lactation and resisting toxins, nourishing blood and consolidating essence, removing blood stasis and detoxification, invigorating qi and nourishing yang, dredge meridians and relieve pain, and appetizing and resolving phlegm. It is suitable for all ages.

There are many kinds of shrimps. According to statistics, there are more than 2,000 kinds of shrimps in the world, and hundreds of them can be farmed or caught for food. In terms of production methods, there are wild fishing, farming, deep sea, shallow sea, etc. In terms of varieties, common marine shrimps are: Chinese shrimp (also known as prawns, shrimps, green shrimps, prawns), tiger shrimps (also known as grass shrimps, flower shrimps, cattle-shaped shrimps), long-haired shrimps (also known as prawns, white shrimps, red-tailed shrimps, red shrimps, big prawns), mantis shrimps (also known as shrimp rakes, shrimp male camels). Common freshwater shrimps are: Macrobrachium rosenbergii (also known as Malaysian prawns, freshwater long-armed shrimps), river shrimps, etc. Here I would like to introduce several special shrimps.

Giant tiger prawn (grass shrimp)

The first one to come to mind is undoubtedly the crayfish, which has been very popular in recent years.

In recent years, the little-known exotic species, crayfish, has become a social media celebrity, a hot topic in the catering industry, a hot topic among breeding owners, and the envy of people outside the industry. In addition to being a popular food, what nutritional value does crayfish have, and why do so many people like to eat it? First of all, in addition to the same rich nutritional and health functions as the above-mentioned shrimps, crayfish has a strong lactation effect and is a good supplementary food for postpartum women; it is rich in phosphorus and calcium, and is particularly beneficial to children and pregnant women; according to a study by scientists at Osaka University in Japan, the astaxanthin in shrimp helps eliminate the "jet lag" caused by jet lag.

Cooked crayfish

The next thing to introduce is the mantis shrimp (Suricata mantis shrimp), also known as shrimp rake and shrimp camel.

The best time to eat mantis shrimp is from April to June every year. The mantis shrimp produced during this period are full of meat and have the highest nutrition throughout the year. It is rich in protein up to 20%. Compared with other meats such as fish and eggs, the protein content of mantis shrimp is more than 20 times higher than them. Mantis shrimp tastes fresh and juicy, and has a light sweet taste after entering the mouth, which is very popular. Male mantis shrimp is larger than female mantis shrimp and has more meat, but female mantis shrimp has yellow during the breeding season.

The distribution range of mantis shrimp is very wide, from the Great Peter Bay in Russia in the north to Malaysia and the Hawaiian Peninsula in the south. Mantis shrimp can be found in many coastal areas of my country. They often live in shallow sea sandy bottoms, which makes them easy to catch and easier for humans to enjoy.

It is also very simple to cook mantis shrimp at home. Pepper and salt, boiled in salt water, spicy or raw marinated mantis shrimp can all be made to be delicious.

Mantis shrimp (Mantis shrimp)

If you say that mantis shrimp is ugly, it is a bit unfair. In the mantis shrimp family, there are some that are colorful and beautiful. If you don't believe it, here is a photo for you:

Cicada-shaped tooth mantis shrimp

Next, we will focus on the Chinese prawns, which are the most Chinese in flavor. Why are they called prawns? There is a saying that among the prawns caught at sea, the yellowish ones are male prawns, and the greenish ones are female prawns. They were often sold in pairs in the past, so they were called "prawns". There is also a beautiful legend that there was a dish in the palace called "Matchmaker's Matchmaking", which was made by inserting red prawns in pairs, which was novel and unique, secretly asking the Queen Mother to let the palace maids go out of the palace to find a good match.

Chinese shrimp

Chinese prawns are saltwater shrimps with thick meat, delicious taste and rich in protein. Braised prawns made with Chinese prawns are a classic delicacy in my country, with thin shells, crispy and soft shrimp meat, and a lingering aftertaste.

Chinese shrimp has a very comprehensive nutritional composition, especially rich in potassium, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, selenium and other elements essential to the human body. The protein content is particularly high, with 13.4 grams per 100 grams of shrimp. It tastes delicious and has a low fat content.

As wild resources become increasingly scarce, in order for us to eat more and better Chinese shrimp, many aquatic science and technology workers have devoted their life's efforts to this end. Their representative figure is Zhao Fazhen, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. When he was young, he participated in the artificial breeding research of shrimp seedlings led by the famous scientist Zhu Shuping as an intern. In 1959, he successfully cultivated the first batch of artificial shrimp seedlings in my country, laying a solid theoretical foundation for the artificial breeding of shrimp. After that, the shrimp research led by Academician Zhao Fazhen solved one problem after another, made important contributions to the development of my country's shrimp farming industry, and ensured that we have delicious shrimp to enjoy today.

Academician Zhao Fazhen (right) and Researcher Li Jian (left) Image provided by the Yellow Sea Fisheries Research Institute

Chinese shrimp, picture provided by the author

The last one to be introduced is the exotic delicacy - Penaeus vannamei. Penaeus vannamei was introduced by Chinese scientific and technological workers in the late 1980s. After 2000, it began to be farmed on a large scale and has become the main target of shrimp farming in China. Its output has accounted for more than half of the total output of all farmed shrimp in China. Penaeus vannamei has a strong ability to adapt to the living environment and can survive in waters with all salinity ranges from pure fresh water to seawater. This is why this shrimp can be farmed both inland and coastal areas.

The white shrimp is rich in nutrition, rich in protein and minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and iron, and is also rich in feces, which has high medicinal value. Therefore, the delicious white shrimp is deeply loved by the general public and has high economic value.

Vannamei white shrimp is often braised in salt water or stir-fried with salt, and it tastes delicious. Its meat is as soft and easy to digest as fish, but it has no fishy smell and bone spurs, and is suitable for people of all ages. Fresh shrimp is boiled and dried, and is called "dried shrimp".

In addition to the above, there are several other common shrimps in the market, such as Japanese shrimp, which we often call "shrimp", tiger shrimp (grass shrimp, black tiger shrimp), etc. These shrimps are all farmed in the sea. In addition to crayfish, the more famous freshwater farmed shrimps include Macrobrachium rosenbergii and Japanese shrimp. The more common wild shrimps in the sea are hawk claw shrimps (oyster shrimps), and imported from abroad include Argentine red shrimps, Arctic shrimps (northern long-headed shrimps), sweet shrimps (Northern red shrimps), peony shrimps, New Zealand crayfish (Antarctic deep-sea crayfish), Australian lobsters (Australian rock lobsters), Boston lobsters, etc.

Japanese shrimp (Penaeus japonicus)

Japanese shrimp (Penaeus japonicus)

Macrobrachium rosenbergii

Hawk Claw Shrimp (Oyster Shrimp)

Argentine red shrimp

Arctic shrimp (Northern long-necked shrimp)

Sweet shrimp (Northern red shrimp)

New Zealand crayfish (Antarctic deep sea crayfish)

Australian lobster (Australian rock lobster)

Boston Lobster

The protection of biodiversity is closely related to our lives, and we call on everyone to consciously participate in the protection of biodiversity. Finally, I hope that while enjoying all kinds of delicious shrimps, you will also thank nature for the biodiversity it has given to humans, and thank scientists for their efforts.

Author: Dai Guoqing, Secretary General of China Algae Industry Association

Scientific review: Liu Yadan, researcher, former assistant secretary-general of the Chinese Society of Fisheries, and chief scientific communication expert in China

Coordinator: Wu Yuetong

Proofreader: Jiang Ruiyi