Article: Shellfish

Cooked mussels

Shellfish is a term used to describe shelled molluscs and crustaceans used as food. Shelled molluscs include the clam, mussel, oyster, winkle and scallop; some crustaceans are the shrimp, prawn, lobster, crayfish, and crab. Squid, octopus and terrestrial snails, though edible and biologically similar to mollusc shellfish, are generally not considered to be shellfish. Some other marine animals, such as sea urchins, are also considered to be shellfish, but they are less commonly eaten. Crustacean shellfish usually "taste like chicken" with a hint of fishiness. Molluscs are rather slimy when raw, and taste more earthy or fishy.

Lobster in particular is a great delicacy in the United States, where families in the northeast region make them into the centerpiece of a clam bake, usually for a special occasion. Lobsters are eaten on much of the East Coast; the American lobster ranges from Nova Scotia down to about the Carolinas, but is most often associated with Maine. A typical meal involves boiling the lobster with some slight seasoning and then serving with drawn butter, baked potato, and corn on the cob.

Clamming is done both commercially and recreationally along the Northeast coastline of America. Various type of clams are incorporated into the cuisine of New England. Notable is the soft-shelled clam, which is eaten fried or steamed, where they are called 'steamers.' Many types of clams can be used for clam chowder, but quahogs, a hard shelled clam also know as a chowder clam, are 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. Crawdads 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. "Rocky mountain oysters" is a euphemism for bull testicles, as their appearance and preparation is similar.

Jewish Kosher Law traditions forbid the eating of shellfish. A rational basis taken up by some nonreligious people is the tendency of some shellfish to feed on waste or accumulate heavy metals or toxins in their tissues. Another is that some of these dishes are consumed raw (oysters, mussels, clams and shrimp, most notably) and can make a person very ill from food poisoning.

In Japan, chefs often use shellfish in sushi and other seafood dishes, and as well as roe. In sushi, shellfish is popular both cooked and raw.

See also

• mollusk
• T.W. Huntington

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