August 10, 2012
Crab & Shrimp—Questions (and Answers) Beyond Deadliest Catch and Forest Gump
Once again, full disclosure—I’m not a huge fan of aquatic arthropods. Like my Martini’s, I take them in small quantities, very chilled, and preferably disguised with a twist of lemon. Truth is, I’m no expert on things crustacean. I do, however, watch Deadliest Catch, and I live on this planet, which means I’ve seen Forest Gump sixty-five times, so I know one or two things about crab and shrimp. Though I have peeled, deveined, cracked, boiled, sautéed, simmered, skimmed, gumbo-ed, etouffee-ed, and caked more than my fair share of both, that’s about where my knowledge ends, at one or two things.
So I decided to do a little investigating, and find out things like, where do the best shrimp and crab come from? Who decided it was a good idea to eat shrimp and crab? They look a little prehistoric, right? What would possess a person? Why, when cooked, are some shrimp a little mushy, while others are firm? Why do they change color when they’re cooked? Why is the crab a Zodiac sign? How come all we ever see on our plates are the legs of the crab? What happens to the body? And for that matter, what about the shrimp heads? Where do those go? Do shrimp really swim backwards? And why? Finding answers to tough, hard-hitting questions like these is not as easy as it might seem.
Here’s the short version of what I learned:
Where do the best shrimp come from?
The answer is all over the place, Maine, Alaska, China, but most of the US shrimp come from the Gulf States. As far as buying it goes, unless you’re positive the shrimp you’re about to buy is absolutely fresh (read: you see Forest Gump and Lt. Dan exiting the supermarket as you’re entering), best buy it frozen. In a supermarket, oftentimes “fresh” means they thawed the frozen stuff and laid it on a bed of ice for a few days. So buy it frozen, bring it home, and put it in the freezer until you’re ready to serve it. It will thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and rinse it in cold water before serving.
Where do the best crab come from
The Bearing Sea! Duh!
Who decided to eat these things in the first place?
Daily Double, folks! Both shrimp and crab are prehistoric, and are considered living fossils. Who actually ate the first one remains a mystery. My best guess—it was done on a double-dog-dare.
Why are some shrimp a little mushy, while others are firm?
One answer is that the mushy ones may be a little less fresh than the firm ones. However, the texture of shrimp is also influenced by where they come from (farm vs. wild), and cooking times (so don’t over cook them, bring them to a boil, when they’re pink, they’re done). Typically, wild shrimp tend to be firmer, because of their diets and their ability to swim freely.
Why do shrimp and crab change color when they’re cooked?
Heat breaks down the proteins in their shells. They go from the bluish-gray hue (protein chains are intact) they have at sea, to pink (protein chains are broken down, and hidden pigment is revealed) when cooked.
Why is the crab the symbol for the Zodiac sign Cancer?
They’re good swimmers, and Michael Phelps’ Zodiac sign is Cancer.
What happens to the bodies of the crab, and the head so of the shrimp?
You don’t want to know.
Do shrimp really swim backwards?Yes, indeed. Why? No fins. They use their abdomens to propel themselves through the water. Good thing the Zodiac people didn’t use a shrimp as the symbol, eh?
That’s all for this in-depth report. Happy eating. Don’t forget the lemon twist!
