Shellfish is a culinary Culinary art is the art of preparing and/or cooking foods. The word "culinary" is defined as something related to, or connected with, cooking or kitchens. A culinarian is a person working in the culinary arts. A culinarian working in restaurants is commonly known as a cook or a chef. Culinary artists are responsible for skillfully and fisheries Generally, a fishery is an entity engaged in raising and/or harvesting fish, which is determined by some authority to be a fishery. According to the FAO, a fishery is typically defined in terms of the "people involved, species or type of fish, area of water or seabed, method of fishing, class of boats, purpose of the activities or a term for exoskeleton An exoskeleton is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to the internal skeleton of, for example, a human. Some animals, such as the tortoise, have both an endoskeleton and an exoskeleton. In popular usage, many of the larger kinds of exoskeletons are known as "shells"-bearing aquatic invertebrates An invertebrate is an animal without a backbone. The group includes 95% of all animal species — all animals except those in the chordate subphylum Vertebrata used as food Food is any substance or materials eaten or drunk to provide nutritional support for the body or for pleasure. It usually consists of plant or animal origin, that contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals, and is ingested and assimilated by an organism to produce energy, stimulate growth, and, including various species of molluscs The Mollusca, common name molluscs or mollusks,[note 1] is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. This is the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Numerous molluscs also live in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Molluscs are highly diverse,, crustaceans Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at 0.1 mm (0.004 in), to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span of up to 14 ft (4.3 m) and a mass, and echinoderms Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals. Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. Aside from the problematic Arkarua, the first definitive members of the phylum appeared near the start of the Cambrian period. Although most kinds of shellfish are harvested from saltwater environments, some kinds are found only in freshwater Freshwater or fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Freshwater is characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term specifically excludes seawater and. In addition a few species of land crabs are eaten, for example Cardisoma guanhumi Cardisoma guanhumi is a species of land crab found in tropical and subtopical estuaries along the Atlantic coast of the Americas, from Brazil and Colombia, through the Caribbean, to Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and as far north as Vero Beach, Florida . The species varies in colour from dark blue to brown or pale grey, and may grow to 11 cm in width in the Caribbean The Caribbean is a region consisting of the Caribbean Sea, its islands , and the surrounding coasts. The region is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and North America, east of Central America, and to the north of South America.

Familiar marine molluscs enjoyed as a food source by humans include many species In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are often used, such as similarity of DNA, morphology or of clams In the United States, "clam" can be used in several different ways: one, as a general term covering all bivalve molluscs. The word can also be used in a more limited sense, to mean bivalves which burrow in sediment, as opposed to ones which attach themselves to the substrate , or ones which can swim and are migratory, like scallops. In, mussels The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval, oysters The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve molluscs which live in marine or brackish habitats. The valves are highly calcified, winkles Common periwinkles are native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of northern Spain, Scotland, Ireland, Scandinavia and Russia, and scallops A scallop is a marine bivalve mollusc of the family Pectinidae. Scallops are a cosmopolitan family, found in all of the world's oceans. Many scallops are highly prized as a food source. The brightly colored, fan-shaped shells of some scallops with their radiating fluted pattern are valued by shell collectors. Some crustaceans commonly eaten are shrimp Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important food source for larger animals from fish to whales, prawn Prawns are decapod crustaceans, belonging to the sub-order Dendrobranchiata. The term "prawn" is also used in various contexts for other animals, especially caridean shrimp. They are found worldwide and include commercially significant species, such as the whiteleg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei, Atlantic white shrimp Penaeus setiferus,, lobster Clawed lobsters comprise a family of large marine crustaceans. Lobsters are economically important as seafood, forming the basis of a global industry that nets more than US$1 billion annually, crayfish Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads — members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea — are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related. They breathe through feather-like gills and are found in bodies of water that do not freeze to the bottom; they are also mostly found in brooks and streams where there is, and crabs True crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting "tail" , or where the reduced abdomen is entirely hidden under the thorax. Other animals, such as hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, horseshoe crabs and crab lice, are not true crabs.^[1] Echinoderms Echinoderms are a phylum of marine animals. Echinoderms are found at every ocean depth, from the intertidal zone to the abyssal zone. Aside from the problematic Arkarua, the first definitive members of the phylum appeared near the start of the Cambrian period are not as frequently harvested for food as molluscs and crustaceans, however sea urchin Sea urchins or urchins are small, spiny, globular animals which, with their close kin, such as sand dollars, constitute the class Echinoidea of the echinoderm phylum. They inhabit all oceans. Their shell, or "test", is round and spiny, typically from 3 to 10 centimetres across. Common colors include black and dull shades of green, olive, roe Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop, and sea urchins. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient is quite popular in many parts of the world.^[2][3]

Most shellfish eat a diet composed primarily of phytoplankton Phytoplankton are the autotrophic component of the plankton community. The name comes from the Greek words φυτόν , meaning "plant", and πλαγκτός (planktos), meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Most phytoplankton are too small to be individually seen with the unaided eye. However, when present in high enough and zooplankton Zooplankton are the heterotrophic type of plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in the water column of oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The name of zooplankton is derived from the Greek zoon (ζῴον), meaning "animal", and planktos (πλαγκτος), meaning "wanderer" or "drifter". Many zooplankton.^[4]

Shellfish are among the most common food allergens A food allergy is an adverse immune response to a food protein. They are distinct from other adverse responses to food, such as food intolerance, pharmacological reactions, and toxin-mediated reactions.^[5]

Terminology

The term shellfish is used both broadly and specifically. In common parlance, as in having "shellfish" for dinner, it can refer to anything from clams and oysters to lobster and shrimp. For regulatory purposes it is often narrowly defined as filter-feeding molluscs The Mollusca, common name molluscs or mollusks,[note 1] is a large phylum of invertebrate animals. There are around 85,000 recognized extant species of molluscs. This is the largest marine phylum, comprising about 23% of all the named marine organisms. Numerous molluscs also live in freshwater and terrestrial habitats. Molluscs are highly diverse, such as clams, mussels, and oyster to the exclusion of crustaceans Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at 0.1 mm (0.004 in), to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span of up to 14 ft (4.3 m) and a mass and all else.^[6]

Although the term is primarily applied to marine Marine is an umbrella term. As an adjective it is usually applicable to things relating to the sea or ocean, such as marine biology, marine ecology and marine geology. As a noun it can be a term for a certain kind of navy, or those enlisted in such a navy species, edible freshwater Freshwater or fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Freshwater is characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term specifically excludes seawater and invertebrates such as crayfish Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads — members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea — are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related. They breathe through feather-like gills and are found in bodies of water that do not freeze to the bottom; they are also mostly found in brooks and streams where there is and river mussels The common name mussel is used for members of several families of clams or bivalvia mollusca, from saltwater and freshwater habitats. These groups have in common a shell whose outline is elongated and asymmetrical compared with other edible clams, which are often more or less rounded or oval are also sometimes grouped under the umbrella of "shellfish".

Although their shells may differ, all shellfish are invertebrates. As non-mammalian animals that spend their entire lives in water they are "fish" in the logical sense; however the denotion finfish (or finnicle fish) has been developed to distinguish fish as animals defined by having vertebrae Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata, chordates with backbones and spinal columns. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been currently described. Vertebrata is the largest subphylum of chordates, and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates are comprised of animals from the groups jawless fishs, bony fish, from shellfish in modern terminology.

The word "shellfish" is both singular and plural; the rarely used "shellfishes" is sometimes employed to distinguish among various types of shellfish.^[7]

Shellfish in various cuisines

Archaeological finds has shown that humans have been making use of shellfish as a food item for hundreds of thousands of years. In the present, shellfish dishes are a feature of almost all the cuisines Cuisine is a specific set of cooking traditions and practices, often associated with a specific culture. It is often named after the region or place where its underlining culture is present. A cuisine is primarily influenced by the ingredients that are available locally or through trade. Religious food laws can also exercise a strong influence on of the world, providing an important source of protein in many cuisines around the world, especially in the countries with coastal areas.

In Japan

In the Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine has developed over the centuries as a result of many political and social changes. The cuisine eventually changed with the advent of the Medieval age which ushered in a shedding of elitism with the age of shogun rule. In the early modern era massive changes took place that introduced non-Japanese cultures, most notably Western, chefs often use shellfish and their roe Roe or hard roe is the fully ripe internal ovaries or egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as shrimp, scallop, and sea urchins. As a seafood, roe is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient in different dishes. Sushi Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of cooked vinegared rice which is commonly topped with other ingredients, such as fish or other seafood, or put into rolls. Sliced raw fish by itself is called sashimi, as distinct from sushi. Sushi that is served rolled inside or around dried and pressed sheets of seaweed (or nori) is makizushi (巻き) (vinegared rice, topped with other ingredients, including shellfish, fish, meat and vegetables), feature both raw and cooked shellfish. Sashimi Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy. It primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste or other condiments such as grated fresh ginger, or ponzu), depending on the fish, and simple garnishes such as shiso and shredded daikon radish. Dimensions vary depending on the primarily consists of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces. Both sushi and sashimi are served with soy sauce and wasabi Wasabi is a member of the Brassicaceae family, which includes cabbages, horseradish, and mustard. Known as "Japanese horseradish", its root is used as a spice and has an extremely strong flavor. Its hotness is more akin to that of a hot mustard rather than the capsaicin in a chili pepper, producing vapors that stimulate the nasal paste (a Japanese horseradish Horseradish is a perennial plant of the Brassicaceae family, which also includes mustard, wasabi, broccoli, and cabbages. The plant is probably native to southeastern Europe and western Asia, but is popular around the world today. It grows up to 1.5 meters (five feet) tall and is mainly cultivated for its large white, tapered root root, a spice with extremely strong hot flavor), thinly-sliced pickled ginger root, and a simple garnish such as shiso Perilla is a genus of annual herb that is a member of the mint family, Lamiaceae. In mild climates the plant reseeds itself. There are both green-leafed and purple-leafed varieties which are generally recognized as separate species by botanists. The leaves resemble stinging nettle leaves, being slightly rounder in shape. It is also widely known as (a kitchen herb, member of the mint Mentha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Lamiaceae (Mint Family). The species are not clearly distinct and estimates of the number of species varies from 13 to 18. Hybridization between some of the species occurs naturally. Many other hybrids as well as numerous cultivars are known in cultivation. The genus has a subcosmopolitan family) or finely shredded daikon radish, or both.

In the USA

Lobster in particular is a great delicacy in the United States ^ b. English is the de facto language of American government and the sole language spoken at home by 80% of Americans age five and older. Spanish is the second most commonly spoken language, where families in the Northeast region make them into the centerpiece of a clam bake The New England Clam Bake is a traditional method of cooking foods, especially seafood such as lobster, mussels, crabs, steamers, and quahogs. The seafood is often supplemented by sausages, potatoes, onions, carrots, corn on the cob, etc. Clam bakes are usually held on festive occasions along the coast of New England, usually for special occasions. Lobsters are eaten on much of the East Coast; the American lobster The American lobster, Homarus americanus, is one species of lobster found on the Atlantic coast of North America. Within North America, it is also known as the northern lobster, Atlantic lobster or Maine lobster. It thrives in cold, shallow waters where there are many rocks and other places to hide from predators and is both solitary and nocturnal ranges from Newfoundland Newfoundland (pronounced /ˈnjuːfənlænd/ ( listen); French: Terre-Neuve, Irish: Talamh an Éisc) is a large Canadian island 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) off the east coast of North America, and the most populous part of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador down to about the Carolinas The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Combining the two states would hold a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida. The Carolinas were known as the Province of Carolina during, but is most often associated with Maine. A typical meal involves boiling the lobster with some slight seasoning and then serving it with drawn butter, baked potato, and corn on the cob.

Clamming is done both commercially and recreationally along the Northeast coastline of the US. Various type of clams are incorporated into the cuisine of New England. The soft-shelled clam is eaten either fried or steamed (and then called "steamers"). Many types of clams can be used for clam chowder, but the quahog, a hard shelled clam also known as a chowder clam, is often used because the long cooking time softens its tougher meat.

The Chesapeake Bay and Maryland region has generally been associated more with crabs, but in recent years the area has been trying to reduce its catch of blue crabs, as wild populations have been depleted. This has not, however, stemmed the demand: Maryland-style crabcakes are still a well known treat in crabhouses all over the bay, though the catch now comes from points farther south.

In the Southeast, and particularly the gulf states, shrimping is an important industry. Copious amounts of shrimp are harvested each year in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean to satisfy a national demand for shrimp. Locally, prawns and shrimp are often deep fried; in the Cajun and Creole kitchens of Louisiana, shrimp and prawns are a common addition to traditional recipes like jambalaya and certain stews. Crayfish are a well known and much eaten delicacy here, often boiled in huge pots and heavily spiced.

In many major cities with active fishing ports, raw oyster bars are also a feature of shellfish consumption. When served freshly shucked (opened) and iced, one may find a liquid inside the shell, called the liqueur. This is a primary feature of the raw bar, and should be sampled, if not enjoyed. Some believe that oysters have the properties of an aphrodisiac.

Inter-tidal herbivorous shellfish such as mussels and clams can help people reach a healthy balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fats in their diets, instead of the current Western diets.^[8] For this reason, the eating of shellfish is often encouraged by dietitians.

Around the world

Shellfish is a common part of indigenous cuisines throughout the globe.

Dishes using shellfish:

• Fried calamari
• Ceviche
• Cioppino
• Callaloo
• Clam chowder
• Curanto
• Fruits de mer
• Paella
• Sashimi
• Shrimp cocktail
• Lobster bisque
• She-crab soup
• Sliced fish soup
• Sushi

Religious dietary restrictions

Jewish Kosher Law traditions forbid the eating of shellfish. The book of Leviticus prohibits the consumption of shellfish.^[9] In Islam, one Sunni school of thought (Hanafi) forbids eating shellfish, while the other three Sunni schools allow it. The Shi'ite school (Ja'fari) does not allow it. Seventh-day Adventists believe that they should not eat shellfish.

See also

• Seafood

References

1. ^ "Shellfish climbs up the popularity ladder; the category is gaining chefs' attention for one-of-a-kind signature menu items". HighBeam Research. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-85675992.html. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
2. ^ "Sea urchin makes waves, popularity increases on American menus". Nation's Restaurant News via BNET. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3190/is_n34_v32/ai_21072930/. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
3. ^ "The sea urchin market in Japan". Marine Fisheries Review via BNET. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3089/is_n3_v51/ai_9071424/. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
4. ^ "Manual on the Production and Use of Live Food for Aquaculture". Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. http://www.fao.org/docrep/003/W3732E/w3732e02.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
5. ^ "Shellfish Alergies". Cleveland Clinic. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/shellfish_allergies/hic_shellfish_allergies.aspx. Retrieved 2009-08-25.
6. ^ Maryland Shellfish Harvesting Areas, Maryland Department of the Environment
7. ^ Festing, Sally; Tyas, Shaun (1999). Fishermen: A Community living from the Sea (Revised ed.). Stamford. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-900289-22-1.
8. ^ Robson, A. 2006. "Shellfish view of omega-3 and sustainable fisheries." Nature 444, 1002.
9. ^ Leviticus 11:9-12

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