(※ Text: Huang Zhiyang, Associate Professor, Department of Aquaculture, National Taiwan Ocean University.)
The news of the change in the friendship between Taiwan and Honduras has affected international trade beyond politics; especially at a time when the supply of eggs in the country is in turmoil, it is disturbing that white shrimps cannot meet the market demand. Instead of worrying regarding the classic line of the movie “What if I can no longer eat such a delicious taste?”, it is better to take this opportunity to think regarding how the species that are not native to Taiwan affect our industry and Diet daily.
Meet the table regulars: white shrimp
White shrimp, or Litopenaeus vannamei, the origin of the name naturally includes the seemingly simple and elegant appearance characteristics. Especially the gray-green body color scattered with pinpoint fine pigment cells, and the natural distribution range revealed from the Chinese name. The reason why it can be seen up close, and even become the most widely raised and produced shrimp species in the world, is because of its rapid growth, suitable body shape, popular flavor suitable for all ages, and relatively excellent disease resistance. When the scale of grass shrimp and tiger prawn industry is steadily declining due to the destruction of farmed shrimp all over the world, its competitive advantage and development potential in farming are highlighted.
What’s more, shrimp is originally a special type of aquatic products that is not restricted by religious beliefs, countries, customs, and cooking. After cooking, the bright body color, freshness, sweetness and crispy texture, not to mention the taste fun for all ages, no wonder no matter in Chinese and Western food, different types and forms of shrimp, the dishes of various countries are as small as seasoning to enhance freshness, as large as During festive banquets, you can always see the appetizing orange red.
In China, if you order shrimp fried rice or seafood porridge, or a bowl of pot roasted noodles or mixed seafood noodle soup, you can always see white shrimps that occupy the main focus of the bowl with shrimps or whole shrimps; , is mostly regarded as the main basis for judging the price and measuring the value, not to mention that from Chinese table meals to Western-style buffets, the white shrimp that have just been served or reheated are always wiped out as quickly as the autumn wind sweeps the fallen leaves, satisfying Everyone wants to be delicious and full, take into account the fun of tasting, and preferably have multiple expectations of strengthening the body.
White shrimps come from fishing and farming respectively, and there are many domestic and imported products on the market. In particular, different supply sources also directly affect whether the products are raw, chilled, frozen or even processed. It’s just that consumers are always used to intuitively distinguishing between size and weight as a unit price evaluation and decision. Have you ever imagined other connections between resources, industries, the environment, and even daily diet through this ingredient?
The way to describe the size of white shrimp is not “so small” or “so big”, but to use the mantissa included in the fixed weight such as catties, kilograms or pounds according to the regional habits. Therefore, the smaller the number, the larger the shrimp body. In addition, in addition to whole shrimp, it also includes shell-less shrimp that can effectively prolong freshness, shellless shrimp that is easy to taste, and even in between, retaining the tail to take into account the appearance, flavor and tasting pleasure; and Commonly known as Anchovy Shrimp or Butterfly Shrimp, it is cut open at the back and curled up following heating, which has the beauty of shape.
Just such a difference in appearance, how to confirm the difference in flavor that everyone cares regarding? In the industry, dividing by size is used as the pricing standard, and the color at the time of cultivation or acquisition is also an important criterion for judging the quality and price. Therefore, it is often seen that before harvesting shrimp, a small stainless steel pot will be placed on the side of the pool with a card-type stove, and it will be boiled immediately following harvesting. After cooking, the dark and light colors appear, and the shell is finally peeled and eaten, and the difference between good and bad will be revealed immediately. It’s just that for those who are always confused in the “CP value” or the strong sauce flavor, they naturally miss it because they are unfamiliar.
Returning to local production and local consumption, domestic shrimp is the best choice
Those who affect the flavor of white shrimp are naturally the salinity of the breeding environment, the animals, plants and animals that form the color of the water.microbial phase, as well as the main feed, pond bottom conditions and farming operations. For example, an earthen pond with good water color and stable water quality, combined with just the right salinity, can not only produce strong, fresh and sweet white shrimp, but at the same time, rather than sticking to “specific pathogen free“(SPF), and individuals with “Specific Pathogen Resistance” (SPR) are often a compromise solution to overcome the current environmental conditions that are already worse than before.
Of course, there are also “Mulch“(HDPE) with “biofloc“(biofloc), or white shrimp produced by combining photoelectricity, symbiosis of fish, algae and shellfish, and even ecological breeding. Such delicacies are irresistible, even reaching the huge demand of longing.
Because of this, the domestic production of white shrimp is naturally difficult to support, and it must rely on trade and imports to help. Although there are many kinds of shrimps that are often eaten from fishing and other farmed shrimps, such as grass shrimps, prawns, or Thai shrimps, as mentioned earlier, white shrimps are far superior to other farmed shrimp species in terms of stable quality, reasonable price and industrial scale. , has become a household name, and the type used by the industry. Therefore, the market can see that in addition to locally produced live shrimp and chilled or frozen products that advertise their quality and brand, in fact, at least 70% of the market is from Central and South America or Southeast Asia. Among them, white shrimp imported from Honduras Shrimp is just one of the sources of supply.
Since it can be accepted by the market and continue to be consumed, and the quantity continues to increase even under stable demand, there is no doubt regarding its quality and competitiveness. It’s just that the more so, it’s inevitable that people will be delighted to welcome “Food and Agriculture Education Act“In the process of implementation and popularization, we must reflect on the consumption and utilization of white shrimp, and what smarter methods can we use in our daily diet, which are in line with the values of conservation and environmental protection that have become universal values at present, but the premise It is impossible to compromise the flavor and tasting pleasure.
There are common white shrimp breeding all over Taiwan, or many of them are investments to replace the cultured species that are no longer popular, and many manufacturers have all demonstrated high technology, using organic, antibiotic-free, high-standard testing of up to 100 items, or Tell moving stories to shape distinctive product characteristics and endow brand value.
Regardless of the business model, at least the energy consumption of refrigeration and shipping due to trade and transportation is eliminated, and it can be delivered to the consumer market within a relatively limited distance, allowing immediate realization of whatever you want, cooking and eating, including production and sales history and certification marks to ensure safety. Of course, whether it is to leave the harsh reality of the diplomatic situation for a while, or to return to local production and local consumption, the dietary advice that is unique to the homeland, domestic white shrimp, is naturally the best choice for delicious food.
Have you eaten shrimp today? Before eating, think regarding all kinds of things other than the flavor, which will definitely make us full, and also have a sense of peace of mind, and care for resources, the environment, and the industry.