Housewives often like to add some dried shrimp when making winter melon soup or seaweed soup, which can make the soup more delicious. The usual practice is to sprinkle the dried shrimp on top when the soup is cooked and then serve. However, this is a very bad habit and it will destroy the nutritional components of the dried shrimp.
The general process of processing dried shrimp is as follows: fresh shrimp is boiled, dried, and then the shells are removed to make dried shrimp. Among them, boiling the shrimp is the most important step in the processing of dried shrimp. In the process of boiling the shrimp, in order to make the dried shrimp look more red and tender and have a better color, the processors usually add a spoonful of pink dye. Generally speaking, freshly boiled shrimp will turn into a light meaty red color, but shrimp boiled with dye will have a bright and beautiful red color that does not fade for 2-3 months, greatly increasing the sales volume of dried shrimp.
According to investigations and research, this red dye is called "bright Tibetan flower essence," commonly known as "flower red powder," which is mainly used for dyeing wood, as well as wool, silk fabrics, paper, leather, plastic, spices, cement, and ink manufacturing. The dye turns red when dissolved in water and cannot be used as a food additive.
This dye has strong adsorption, reliable colorfastness, and is highly carcinogenic. Therefore, before eating dried shrimp or shrimp skin, it is best to boil them in water for 15-20 minutes to remove some of the harmful substances, and then remove and cook them for consumption. It is better not to drink the soup. If you want to drink the dried shrimp soup, you can add 1-2 slices of vitamin C to the soup, which can prevent carcinogens from synthesizing in the body. When buying dried shrimp, be sure to carefully select and beware of buying dried shrimp with added "bright Tibetan flower essence."
First of all, look at the appearance of the dried shrimp. Dried shrimp made from fresh shrimp should be curved and hooked, while dried shrimp made from poor quality fresh shrimp will be straight. Good dried shrimp is evenly sized, with minimal debris, a pure color, and a natural red with varying depths of gold. Dried shrimp with added color will appear uniformly pale pink, and if you break it open, you will find that the flesh in the middle is also dyed light red. Upon careful observation, you will notice that the shrimp shells are pale pink.
Secondly, smell the aroma. Fresh and good dried shrimp should not have any fishy or other strange smells and should have a natural shrimp fragrance. If there is a strong fishy smell, it is not fresh anymore. The salt content in dried shrimp should generally be 3%-5%. Sometimes, if the fresh shrimp is not fresh enough, the manufacturer will use more salt, resulting in a strong salty taste in the dried shrimp, and even a fine layer of salt on the outside of the dried shrimp. It is advisable to be cautious when buying such dried shrimp.
Next, feel the texture with your hands. Grab a handful of dried shrimp and if they are dry and not sticky, they are good dried shrimp. If they are damp and sticky, they are not fresh. If you feel salt crystals, it means that too much salt was used and the taste of the dried shrimp will be inferior.
Finally, taste the flavor. High-quality dried shrimp should have firm flesh, a sweet and fresh taste without any sandy texture, and become more delicious as you chew. If it tastes fishy or salty, the quality is inferior. If it tastes salty and bitter, it is even worse. If the surface is sticky and orange-red, smells fishy, and has a strange taste after chewing, the dried shrimp has gone bad.
It is not advisable to eat dried shrimp at night because dried shrimp has a high calcium content. The excess calcium is excreted in the urine, making it easy to cause urinary stones when eaten at night.
The editor's warm reminder:
Seafood that has been stored for too long is prone to spoilage and deterioration. After deterioration, the protein it contains decomposes and produces toxic substances such as amines, soluble toxic proteins, indole, and fecal odor, which have the potential to be carcinogenic. Heating and boiling such food cannot completely destroy its toxicity and can still harm the body. After consumption, the toxic substances enter the bloodstream through the intestines, which can endanger health.
