▲Photo/photoAC
Text | Wei Yiyi
The scallops of Zhangzidao "ran" again, no, according to this time it was "sudden death".
This is the third time in five years that Zhangzidao scallops have "run collectively", the first two times are "low temperature disappearance" and "high temperature starvation".
In an interview with the media, the local resident said: "The scallops on Zhangzidao are very obedient, if he wants him to die, he will die, let it run." ”
What is the reason why the scallops "run away", we don't know, we don't dare to ask, it is painful for these scallops that say there is no.
Grilled scallops in soy sauce, steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli, scallops baked with cream, scallops fried in butter... After all, this should be the perfect home for scallops.
▍ What are the scallops of "running away"?
Scallops are a large group, there are more than 400 species in the world, more than 60 species that can be eaten, and there are currently 45 species of scallops living in the coast of China, but we actually eat only 5 species every day.
▲Ezo scallops. Photo/photoAC
Ezo scallops are also the protagonists of zhangzidao scallop incidents.
Ezo is the old name of the Hokkaido region of Japan, and the scallops found there are called Ezo scallops.
Ezo scallops also have a name in Japan called Sail Shell, because "this shell is in the sea, two shells open, one shell like a boat, one shell like a sail", hence the name.
Ezo scallops are the largest of the scallops we eat on a daily basis, reaching a diameter of up to 20 cm.
Because they live in cold waters, the metabolism of Ezo scallops is relatively slow, and the growth cycle can reach 2-4 years, so more flavor substances have accumulated in the body, and the taste is more delicious.
Such delicious scallops, Chinese naturally will not miss. As early as 1982, Ezo scallops were introduced to China for aquaculture, and now many seas in Shandong and Liaoning have large-scale aquaculture of Ezo scallops.
▲Ctenophore scallops. Graph/Network
Ctenophorus scallops, commonly known as dried clams, its shell is like a folding fan, with obvious patterns, and the shell is mainly orange. The size is relatively small, generally about 7 cm in diameter.
The main production areas of ctenophore scallops are in the northern coastal areas such as Weihai, Penglai, Liaoning Dalian, etc., and the price is much cheaper than Ezo scallops.
▲ Luxurious ctenophore scallops. Figure/inaturalist.org
In the southern region, the most common is the luxurious ctenophore scallop, which is similar in shape to the ctenophore scallop, slightly larger, and generally up to 10 cm in diameter.
Its most notable feature is that there are red, orange, yellow, purple and other colorful shells, in the shell collection market, the luxurious ctenophore scallops are very popular.
In China, the luxury ctenophore scallop is mainly distributed in the coastal areas of Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan, and is the largest scallop species in the world.
▲Long rib sun moon shell. Figure/wikimedia
The long rib sun and moon shell, also known as the Asian sun and moon clam, is named because one side of the shell is red, the other side of the shell is white, the shell is round, the pattern is not radial, but similar to the ring of the year.
In China, the long rib sun and moon shells are mainly distributed in the waters of the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
▲Bay scallops. Figure/wikimedia
Bay scallops, native to the United States, China has also been introduced to breeding, shell diameter is generally five or six centimeters, smaller than ctenophore scallops, the shell is gray, brown mainly, there are orange.
Logically, different varieties of scallops are easy to distinguish, but many scallops are hybridized, which greatly improves the difficulty of resolution.
But don't worry, Ezo scallops will not be sold to you at the price of ordinary scallops, and no matter how they are hybridized, the taste of scallops will not be affected.
▲Pictured: Three cooks
▍ Don't laugh, scallops really can run
Scallops "run" have been ridiculed for several years, but scallops can really run, it is true. And the scallops are not slow enough to run, running 50 centimeters per second.
Scallops are the only species of shellfish that migrate, and are even known in Europe as "pilgrim mussels".
▲Scallop running. Graph/Network
However, scallops generally do not move, and the only thing that can make it move is its natural enemy, starfish, and some starfish can eat more than a dozen scallops a day.
So how did scallops find starfish? It's all about its hundred or so eyes, yes, more than a hundred.
If you look closely at the mantle membrane of the scallops, you will find a small black dot one by one, that is, the eyes of the scallops, each eye has a retina and lens, can feel the change of light, but can not distinguish the shape, but for the scallops used to find natural enemies such as starfish, it is enough.
▲ Scallop eyes. Graph/Network
The internal structure of scallops is not complicated, basically only the closed shell muscles (scallops), reproductive glands, digestive tract, parotids and mantle membranes.
When the scallop finds a natural enemy, the closed shell muscle repeatedly contracts and relaxes, spits out the seawater, and uses the power of the jet water to push the body to move.
What's more, the water can spray from all directions of the scallop's body, so that the scallop has enough flexibility, and there is no need to turn around when swimming in the opposite direction.
▲ Swimming and jumping of scallops. Figure/wikimedia
However, the athletic ability of scallops is not so strong, at most swimming five or six meters is the limit, you need to close the shell for several hours.
Will scallops with athletic ability "run" on a large scale?
There are two ways to cultivate scallops: one is called the hanging down type, which hangs the scallops in the sea with cages and ropes, and the other is the bottom sowing type, which scatters scallop seedlings in the sea that has cleared natural enemies and grows freely.
The bottom-sown type with the risk of "running away" is the bottom-sown type, but in recent years, the bottom-sown harvest of Ezo scallops in Japan has always been higher than that of the hanging type; and the ocean island, which is in the same sea area as Zhangzidao, has not had the news of scallops running away on a large scale in recent years.
▍How to pick scallops in the end?
Well, finally, it's time to eat scallops.
Now scallops are farmed, there are supplies throughout the year, but the fattest season of scallops is still spring and autumn, autumn is naturally now, and spring is from March to April, because into May, scallops to start breeding, need to consume a lot of nutrients, scallops will become thin.
It's not hard to pick scallops, just master two methods.
One is knocking, scallop shell open or closed, can not directly explain the scallop life and death, pick up the open mouth of the scallop gently knock, if it is alive, will slowly close the shell. When buying scallops, many vendors will also knock on you to prove that his scallops are alive.
The second is that the scallop under the same conditions, the heavier it is, the more fleshy it is.
▲The internal structure of scallops. Photo/cfs.gov.hk
Simple structure of scallops also do not need any complicated cleaning, scallop diced is naturally the most delicious, the taste and taste of the skirt is also good, male scallops of the reproductive glands are white, while females are orange-red, which can also be eaten, the only noteworthy is the black digestive glands, because it is more likely to enrich algal toxins, and the taste is not good, you can remove it.
▍ Scallops, how to eat are delicious
Guardian of the Northern Seas, Oyster's Hardcore CP, King of the Supper World, Patron God of Fans, Liberator of MSG, Chef Nightmare Scallop.
The simplest way to eat scallops in coastal areas is to wash them and steam them in a pot.
And what makes scallops really fire must be barbecue, and don't look at scallops and oysters who are not with anyone, but when ordering food is often these two pieces of points, one less how to feel wrong.
▲ Scallops to be grilled. Photo/photoAC
Scallops are also very diverse in the barbecue industry, minced garlic, soy sauce, hot sauce...
Of course, the only thing to pay attention to is to assemble the scallops, recycled scallop shells, plus frozen scallop meat, with relatively heavy flavored spices, making it difficult for the average person to distinguish.
In addition to roasting scallops, the most classic method is to steam scallops with garlic vermicelli, plan out the scallops, pad the scallop shell with vermicelli, put the cleaned scallop meat, and then sprinkle with seasoned garlic sauce, steamed on the pot, it is a fresh and delicious dish.
▲Steamed scallops with garlic vermicelli. Photo: New Oriental Cooking School
In fact, not only steamed scallops, but also roasted scallops in many places, vermicelli will also be used. Therefore, some people on Zhihu asked why scallops cannot be separated from fans.
In fact, this question is asked the opposite, in fact, the fans can not do without scallops, whether steamed or grilled, scallops will inevitably shrink, a large scallop shell, only scallop meat in the middle, serving on the table is not good-looking, with fans laid mat, both full and good-looking.
In addition, the juice precipitated from the scallops and the juice of the seasoning are absorbed by the vermicelli during the cooking process, and the vermicelli who sucks up the juice becomes extremely delicious.
The scallop meat can also be used to stir-fry vegetables and steam eggs, and in the northern coast, scallops are indispensable in dumplings, leek pork scallop dumplings or cucumber egg scallop dumplings, all of which are extremely delicious.
▲Scallop sashimi. Photo/photoAC
In Japan, the shells of thick Ezo scallops are most often used to make sashimi or sushi.
In addition, when you make tempura, you can also experience the wonderful taste of crispy outside and tender inside.
In the Western catering system, the most common scallop dish is the butter fried scallops.
▲Fried scallops. Figure/oregonlive.com
Anyone who has seen Hell's Kitchen knows that the most common dish that Gordon Ramsey asks the contestants to cook is fried scallops, because fried scallops are very challenging for chefs to master the heat and time.
What we eat and use every day is not all fresh scallops, but also dried scallops.
After the scallops are dried, what you get is dried scallops, also known as Yaozhu.
▲ Dried scallops. Photo: Pixabay
Dried scallops are natural monosodium glutamate, in Chinese food, many dishes that need to be fresh will use dried scallops, soups, vegetables or fried rice, put a little dried scallops, freshness is immediately different.
But dried scallops are not completely made of scallop diced, there is another creature in this world called "Jiang Jue", also called the belt, it also grows and scallops similar to the betting, dried scallops and tapes can hardly be distinguished, only taste can be distinguished.
There is also a doorway to choose dried scallops, to choose dry dried scallops, 80% of the dried are easy to mold, breed bacteria, and the foaming rate is not high.
In addition, as with the selection of sea cucumbers, try not to choose dried scallops, on the one hand, sugar will gain weight, on the other hand, such dried scallops are easy to rot when foaming. Therefore, you must look carefully when buying scallops.
Resources
[1] "Harmony of Han SancaiTuhui"
[2] Scallop Eyes? There are more than two! , a calendar of species
[3] "Growing Scallops should be harvested in Spring", Chinese Aquatic Products