Most people of all the edible inhabitants of the oceans are united in one category - “seafood”. Their list, however, should not include fish and meat of marine mammals (seals, whales, walruses and other animals). By science, these vertebrates of the seas and oceans are singled out in a separate group. But many manufacturers of fish products and suppliers of semi-finished products from fisheries , as well as fishery workers, often call their products seafood because of their general distribution.
Popular types of seafood
The most common categories of the most diverse inhabitants of the sea depths suitable for food are the following: bivalves, which include oysters, mussels and scallops; cephalopods (octopuses, sea cuttlefish and squid); crustaceans (shrimp and crabs, lobsters or lobsters, krill, lobsters and crayfish); echinoderms - trepangs, sea urchins, cucumaria and holothurians; seaweed (kelp and bubbly fucus, spirulina, sea salad or ulva, porphyry and lithotamnia). Such an exotic exciting world for every European, like Japanese cuisine, uses seafood, the list of names of which contains the original names given in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Seaweed - nori, kombu, hijiki, wakame, kanten and umi budo - can be found in sushi and rolls prepared in Asian restaurants around the world.
The advantages of products extracted in the open sea
The average calorie content of most seafood is 80-85 kcal per 100 g of healthy food. The type and chemical composition of the inhabitants of the deep sea are directly related to their energy value. For example, shrimp meat is rich in minerals useful for human health: calcium and magnesium, sulfur, phosphorus and iron.
Squid or octopus carcasses are mega-sources of B and C vitamins. Moreover, 100 g of mussel meat contains only 3 g of fat, and squid and shrimp carcasses contain even less of this nutrient, which positively affects the calorie content of the diet for weight loss, which is based on Fish and seafood. The list of their beneficial properties also includes the presence of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty polyunsaturated acids. These substances improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, lower cholesterol, stabilize the hormonal background. In addition, products from the sea normalize digestion, stimulate metabolic processes in the body, and reduce the risk of the onset and development of cancer.
Other beneficial properties of seafood
Having found out what applies to seafood, the list of which includes a huge number of various living organisms edible for humans, as well as understanding the whole world of animals, plants and algae, it is easy to determine how to replenish your diet with delicious and extremely beneficial delicacies. Shrimp meat is an ideal product for people who want to lose weight. High protein content, lack of sugars and fats - these qualities of crustacean representatives help a person to feast on them and at the same time reduce weight. In addition, this type of seafood contains the highest concentration of vitamin B12, which activates the synthesis of hemoglobin, which perfectly strengthens the nervous system. Sea snails are leaders in the content of vitamin B6 and magnesium, elements that contribute to the prevention of depressive conditions.
Mussels are record holders for the presence of vitamin E, a female product that supports the beauty of skin, hair and nails. This powerful antioxidant regulates fertility, has anti-aging properties. In addition to natural protein, seafood is a major supplier to our body of iodine and iron, which improve brain function. People who regularly consume seafood are less likely to experience stress and are resistant to depression. Nutritionists recommend that you include two or three meals a week containing seafood in your diet for a nutritious diet. The list of dietary, low-calorie seafood allows a person to diversify the menu and at the same time to be saturated, without gaining weight.
Food from the Blue Fields: Processing
Today, seafood is used not only in cooking: the chemical, textile, cosmetic and medical industries use them for the production of medical and anti-aging (rejuvenating) cosmetics, hair lotions, iodine-containing food seasonings, for the preparation of ice cream and food ice, thickeners for toothpaste, for pulp and paper, for the production of rubber, varnishes and textiles. Algae serve as a source of salt, which is used to preserve fish, and from them they get a film that protects fresh and tasty seafood from rancidity and drying.
Scientists were able to obtain hemostatic drugs from algae, and mineral wool from thalli has much better properties than cellulose, since absorbable dressings based on
sodium alginate contribute to the healing of wound edges without causing complications.
Edible inhabitants of the northern seas
Due to severe climatic conditions, representatives of the water element of the North develop very slowly and reach enormous size. The fauna of the Arctic Ocean is the supplier of the largest mussels, reaching 10 to 20 centimeters in length, shrimps up to 30 cm in size, giant squids, whose growth can reach 5 meters! Longevity of living organisms in cold Arctic waters distinguishes northern seafood from their southern counterparts. So, for example, mussels of the Barents Sea can exist for about 25 years (in the Black Sea these mollusks live only about 6 years). In addition, fish are extracted in the Barents Sea - haddock, cod, polar cod and capelin, as well as shrimp.
In the total catch, the proportion of catfish and
sea flounder, pollock and flounder ruff is quite large. Herring of the same name, Pechora and White Sea navaga are caught in the
White Sea . In the sixties of the last century, the
Kamchatka crab began to be bred in the Barents Sea
, and since 2002 its fishing has been organized. Processed fish, crabs and shrimps are frozen in the sea on the vessels of the Variant company, the exclusive distributor of the products of which is the Northern Seafood company. After buying sea delicacies - shrimps or crabs - they need to be defrosted a little in cold water or on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator and boiled. Cooked crab meat is used as a snack or an independent dish, shrimp - boiled or fried, served with sauces, stuffed with vegetables or eggs, added to various salads, prepared sandwiches with them, added to soups.
Food of the centenarians of Asia and the Mediterranean
The balanced composition of seafood, their lightness and low calorie content have become the reason why residents of coastal areas prefer seafood. Grocery list Japanese and Chinese, Greeks and Italians, French and Spaniards consists of marine ingredients for soups and salads, main dishes and snacks. Algae, which contain many useful vitamins, minerals and amino acids, (in addition, they sparingly affect the digestive tract); crustaceans (shrimps, lobsters, lobsters (lobsters), crabs and small crustaceans - krill, rich in dietary meat); mollusks - cephalopods (octopuses, cuttlefish and squid), bivalves, oysters, mussels and scallops, and gastropods, raps - form the basis of the diet of most long-livers in the world.
In China, crabs, shrimp and scallops are highly regarded as a means of strengthening the vitality of the body. Residents of most countries in Asia and the Mediterranean consider the most exquisite delicacies of mollusks, cephalopods and crustaceans, caught in blue water. In France, foodies often order sea snails, oysters and mussels, in addition to the usual shrimp, crab and lobster.
How to choose seafood: the pros and cons
A significant advantage of many seafood is related to their fast cooking, which is important for cooks and ordinary housewives. Of the minuses, only one can be called - seafood rarely comes to us fresh, as it quickly deteriorates. But after a shock freezing, their nutritional value does not deteriorate at all, therefore, an even thin layer of icing on the seafood indicates their good quality. They can only be sold alive in coastal areas or close to farms where they are cultivated under artificial conditions.
Raw or boiled, and then frozen, can be seafood, list
which consists of squid, trepang, scallop fillet, kelp and other seafood. Dried shrimps or sea cucumbers can be found in stores. From canned products harvested in the open sea, the food industry produces crabs, squid, shrimp, scallop fillet, seaweed and other species. Salted and smoked seafood is often served as a beer snack.
When size matters
When choosing giant king prawns that are popular among buyers who do not want to spend precious time cleaning small shells of shells, special care must be taken. Many experts say that these artificially increased dimensions of shrimp are associated with the use of growth stimulants and other harmful additives. Although for the accumulation of these dangerous substances in the human body you need to use king prawns often and for quite a long time.
Pay attention
To determine the freshness of mollusks, you need to tap on their shell. Living specimens of the sash immediately shut, while their contents should be transparent, colorless with a pleasant marine smell. Dirty gray meat and open cusps are a sign of an unusable clam. Fresh seafood list crustaceans in which it occupies a significant part are distinguished by hard shell and dense meat, which has a light healthy luster. The dry and matte protein content of crabs, lobsters or shrimps means that the product is stale.
Seaweed in cooking and cosmetology
Popular seaweed can be found on the shelves of supermarkets in fresh and dried, canned and pickled, as well as in salt form. Laminaria is one of the most important sources of iodine, which is ideally absorbed by our body. Seaweed salad is an excellent way to prevent thyroid disease and, in general, the entire endocrine system. In addition, the abundance of dietary fiber in kelp and low calorie content makes it an indispensable product in the process of weight loss. In cosmetology, seaweed is used as a moisturizing, firming skin, fat-burning and vitaminizing component of most home and professional products.