fish food times

Welcome to FISH FOOD TIMES

Nov. 2014 issue No.131

A fish-figure sashimi of Lobster

This month, let wrote about the lobster.

Why Speaking of or lobster, is because I had a chance to go to the famous United States Boston in the catch of lobster and cooking last month.

Of course, I ate the lobster dishes in Boston, but it is only those exclusively boiled, no such thing sashimi of fish-figure, such as the beginning of this image, this image is not intended to be were taken in Boston last month, the previous author it is a work that was created in Japan.

In Japan last year, prominent in the cuisine provided by such restaurant in the hotel, lobster, which is stocking a little cheaper as a substitute for expensive Spiny lobster had been used, that the goods disguised incident happened that is still memory of readers I think that it might be the new in.

Spiny lobster and lobster seem very similar, the figure is there is a clear difference, he is not making mistakes if there is common knowledge, but only the cooking part of the body of meat that is the main edible part put to become and in, it becomes not know anymore.

But Speaking of appearance of Spiny lobster and lobster are similar, since it is certainly similar, First of all, let's start from the fact that to organize the knowledge of lobster.

Lobsters belong to Astacidea Metanephrops japonicus family Homarusu genus, in Japan it is also called Homard. Lobster is similar to the American crayfish Department of Asia crayfish genus Zarigani who is in Japan of freshwater, lobster becomes much larger, it will grow to about 20 ~ 50cm. Also I hear that there shall be more than one meter but I can not believe in.

Named Omar, because expressed as Homard that of lobster in French, it is only in French or of differences or to express in English.

Illustration depicted under "Shizuoka Prefecture common room lobster circumstances - the world of production volume and Japanese imports -" is one that I was allowed to see from the home page.

By clear picture, I think the difference is well able to understand.

Lobster are many from Canada territory Newfoundland region of the US continent east coast to the vicinity of the United States North Carolina are distributed. In the United States, this time the author of the visited is also one main province is its main production areas, it is that about 60,000 tons per year are caught.

Also, speaking more accurately, and the American lobster that inhabits the Atlantic from Canada to the Caribbean, to have a kind of European lobster, which are distributed in the vicinity of the Mediterranean Sea from Norway of the Atlantic Ocean, to also separately Africa south coast and this is also I hear that there's that similar species of Cape lobster.

Lobster is a life alone lurking in the shadow of the shallow sea of rock, it is said that most larger shrimp in the world, in the size of ripe that it is up to 1kg from 500g, exceeds its weight 20kg there is also a record that has been caught.

Giant scissors legs are major features are or intimidate enemy, or used to block the entrance of the burrow made ??to rock shade. Use for the left and right scissors legs are different, because one of scissors used for the purpose of breaking an object called a "crusher", the other scissors are called "pincer", is used for the role sandwiching things.

Scissors is a crayfish suborder class to which the lobster is there in the first leg, spiny lobster is able to distinguish that it is spiny lobster suborder class does not have a scissors first leg.

And there are a lot more say kind of shrimp order that's infinite, and clarity spiny lobster suborder, and the only crayfish suborder from inside of it, and become a table similar to the following.

By the way, such as Scyllarides of Slipper lobster in the table above, I think that there is no able to see much our readers so very rare precious species.

In FISH FOOD TIMES, I will try to be also published in issue this month the image of this time again the figure the image that has been introduced in the Past Issue of "№41 fish-figure sashimi of Scyllarides (May 2007 issue)".

Of the two images above, the left image is one that seen from the side, the right images are viewed from above.

And in the next, more about this also rare "painted spiny lobster" also, let me introduce this in passing.

About this painted spiny lobster I have been featured in "№45 lobster fish-figure sashimi of Spiny lobsterr (September 2007)". Since that time does not treat is as the title fish, people who do not read this issue should not know that it had been dealing with this kind of shrimp in the past.

Although I think this image gave me to understand that it's painted spiny lobster, and will not be described here, let us refrain. If you want to know if more thing, it is because may be read in open the issue that introduces it. However, the English version is not.

Basically, such rare shrimp is caught in the vicinity of the Nansei Islands and Okinawa inshore, it is possible to see these shrimp if you go to Makishi market of Naha, Okinawa Prefecture.

But if think it is trying to buy this, maybe because it is told in unabashedly the amazing price of more than spiny lobster, it would be a good to keep in stop the who can not afford the money.

Well, it has been variously refer to shrimp than lobster for comparison, is more of it in the fact that it is left to the next opportunity, let us proceed to talk about the only thing of lobster now on possible.

The image below US time October 28 morning, of Boston city's state of live fish aquarium of some super.

Relatively small size of the lobster in the live fish aquarium had been sold in one $ 9.99.

This supermarket is headquartered in Boston, is a regional chain to deploy about 400 stores in New England with a focus on Boston, is a supermarket with the history that has become this year founded 100 years.

I visited some of the stores of this company this time. This is a relatively large store new companies are as such live fish tank is provided such, that it was as the characteristics of the fish store sales to have this lobster dedicated tank.

Although what shoppers can not imagine what to buy the lobster out of this aquarium, when you order the things appearance of lobster in a restaurant, because relatively small size and order a as much as roughly $ 30 and must be prepared , if dishes is purchased here will be requires only a much cheaper cost.

The image above is not intended to be purchased at the shop, but already is the lobster that had been taken in Japan, the same treatment that is applied to this image and lobster that are sold in this shop.

It is, firmly fixing the scissors in the green of sturdy rubber band, but it is so not move scissors.

French name of Homard, and is named German name Hummer, none in the sense that "hammer", is derived from the fact that the scissors legs looks like a hammer.

When the lobster is looming danger, the reason is to pinch indiscriminate this hammer, lobster comrade there is a possibility that hurt with a hammer of each other when it was caught. So lobster is fixed so as not to move this in immediately rubber band When is caught, scissors legs is to do not serve as a weapon.

I went to the seafood restaurant called the most famous Legal Sea Foods in Boston, I ordered the 1.25 £ ~ 1.5 £ size of lobster under image this time. This was the $31.95 price contains a side dish.

This scissors legs that has become a major feature of the lobster, like the image below, was full to become such magnitude takes dish.

Such as the lower left image, using a dedicated tool to crack the shells of shrimp and crab, if you put a force on the part of the scissors legs, shell is easy to crack, because the contents of the scissors legs comes to take whole, surprising to eat easy.

In the case of lobster, thorns are not rugged as king crab. So unlike the nail of king crab, easy to hold it even when dividing the shell of scissors, it's friendly feel to the hand.

The meat is elastic than spiny lobster, is a nearly texture to king crab, if anything.

In the image of the above has become a form such as saddled with the lobster is like "melted butter". In Western-style dishes, with either steam or boil the lobster is to eat it with a "melted butter" many, this is coming always affixed forms the basis of seasoning in the restaurant.

Also containing ovaries of eggs I called Coral because it is a coral color. This part is known by good taste comes out, before spawning female thing that especially delicious.

Unfortunately I was not able to eat the ovary. But so was that intestinal glands also delicious in that it corresponds to the "miso" of crab, using a spoon for clam chowder that part was also ordered at the same time hitting the back of the head, other than the narrow feet so the above image is scraped all I was exhausted to eat.

But Americans, who like me how to eat is like a minority. As shown in the following image exclusively, only to retrieve lobster meat boiled, it seems like the shape of the food that sandwiching it in bread "Lobster rolls".

Lobster rolls

In this way, lobster is a fish that represents the Boston city of America Massachusetts, lobster also on the coast of the city of Maine and New Hampshire has become a specialty cuisine.

In Speaking of whether the handling situation of lobster in Japan, according to the catch statistics of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, crayfish suborder that includes a lobster in a situation such as has not been listed in statistics less catch, lobster suborder of the considerably less when compared to the catch is like a reality.

According to the FAO of the statistics, the average catch of the world of 1950 to 2011, spiny lobster family is 68,949 tons and Metanephrops japonicus family is 101,697 ton which is a numerical result that more of the catch of Metanephrops japonicus family There are many.

Also, if you look at the world of catch fluctuations in the year, spiny lobster family have followed a much stable state, but not much most fluctuations in '25, Metanephrops japonicus family have continued to been increasing year by year, recently about 10 years Metanephrops japonicus family has become about twice the catch of spiny lobster family.

On the other hand, the average catch of spiny lobster in 1988 to 2012 in Japan is 1,223 tons in the whole country. Meanwhile numbers without large variations, it is longer stable. Five prefectures of the top in the catch of the past 25 years, Chiba Prefecture, Mie Prefecture, Wakayama Prefecture, a Shizuoka Prefecture and Kagoshima Prefecture. Average catch of the top five prefectures is 770 tons, accounting for about 63% of Japan's catch in the five prefectures.

That catch of spiny lobster family in Japan is a big change was not observed also in demand but is stable, he like not even growing need to Metanephrops japonicus family such as lobster.

But that world of trend is not the case, both the needs of Metanephrops japonicus family such as lobster increases, catch also seems to increase as it, lobster popularity has been increasing rapidly than spiny lobster From a global perspective.

On the other hand spiny lobster in Japan, and how wielding a long and thick antennae, appearance form is reminiscent of the valiant samurai wearing armor. It is auspicious iconic good that has been prized for the feast celebration as ancient times "valor and longevity of symbols".

However crayfish is a lobster fellow, Japan's rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, etc., if the water flow is loose freshwater, from the fact that it is possible to find in the place of most of the urban areas, it is not uncommon, nor a valuable, auspicious nor is it a good thing.

I think as a child, using a simple tool, and do not than some people with memory that did the "crayfish fishing" often in this kind of place. Now, as for the bait of aquaculture bullfrog, crayfish, which is populated from the United States escaped from the aquaculture ponds, they spread the distribution area in the whole country.

The American crayfish were cut water plants, may have effects on inland water ecosystems by prey on aquatic insects, are afraid also pointed out that threaten the native species of Zarigani to mediate the crayfish fungus disease. It has been selected to invasive alien species worst 100 of Japan by the Ecological Society of Japan from these adverse effects. Also by the "Law on the Prevention of damage related to the ecosystem such as by a particular foreign organism", American crayfish are also specified in the caution foreign organisms.

In this way, the whole country where the American crayfish that is adapted to inhabit even in freshwater or a "crayfish fishing" play of the subject of children, also has been seen as a child for breeding pets. And in Japan, sense of the crayfish edible is almost none.

Thus became the is, and that the habit of American crayfish is omnivorous eat anything such as animal carcasses, such as that it is inhabited also in a very dirty environment of looks like Dov river, and its voracious feeding habit to animals that live in terribly bad environment, Japanese people might not feel the appetite.

In other words, for the Japanese is the "crayfish is not the subject eat even a children's play partner".

Because that delicious lobster, ... should undoubtedly crayfish also delicious on its fellow. But actually there is no thing that I also crayfish ate.

Crayfish of the image in Japan is like this. So, lobster is no matter how effort and attempt to increase the image of edible in Japan, in Japan there is also a possibility that ends with "aah, fellow of that crayfish...".

But it's to end the lobster in such a light treatment of together of level and crayfish, it's too wasteful story.

The so as to be able to eat in the raw sashimi spiny lobster, lobster also he can be eaten raw, but do not hear much talk of that, actually the place that the sale of the features sashimi of lobster does not seem to eye .

Currently, because the lobster is not like the fact that are provided more and more in sashimi in Japan, is trying to be an end to this month's issue to introduce the fish-fugure sashimi of lobster process at the beginning of a book image below.

Lobster dismantling process

1.The live lobster move around energetic.	4. Tail to unplug from the head and remove the edible part.

2.Flip over to show the belly.	5.The head, tail, and separating the edible part.

3.On the back of the head, and kill to put the knife point of a sword.	6. The bellows portion of the tail, and divided into edible part.

7.Ornament the head and leg scissors to the dish, then the bellows portion to the base, and dishing on the chopping the edible parts