Shrimp: What are and how to choose

Seafood in our country have always been considered a delicacy. And the taste and color, these products differ from others, look interesting and unusual, and have only this can change our mood for the better. Nutrients and vitamins in a lot of seafood, and this makes them even more welcome guests at our table.

 However, sometimes seafood are harmful to health, not because they naturally have any harmful substances, but because of unfair producers and suppliers. That's why when buying any exotic seafood, you should be very careful.
Of course, the best to eat fresh seafood, straight from the sea: freshly lobster, tender and nourishing oysters, original salads with shrimp. However, to go to sea, even in summer can not all our compatriots, and therefore have to be satisfied by the seafood sold in frozen form in our supermarkets.
One of the most popular among fans of marine shrimp are gifts - marine crustaceans, and in this article will discuss about them. While the shrimp are fresh and usually always with the same color, whereas painting marine shrimp vary. What are the shrimp
Sizes of shrimp, too, are different: there are very small, no more than 2cm, and is simply huge - up to 30cm. Distinguish between warm and cold shrimp. Just warm water and are the largest: the king - to 20cm, and the tiger - up to 30cm. Warm inhabit the southern seas, so to us they get it from Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and China, and now from countries in Latin America - Ecuador, Brazil, Nicaragua.
On the shrimp from Southeast Asia is not a good fame: they may be antibiotics, various additives (for food), and the quality they do not always differ. 

Shrimp from Latin America, by contrast, are more qualitative, as on the farms in this region is rather high standards, and time to market substandard products can be a farmer for the end of his business.
Coldwater shrimp are brought to Russia from Denmark, Greenland, Norway, Canada, Estonia and Lithuania.
It was cold shrimp on the Russian market more, and they are tasty, nutritious and beneficial than warm water, although cheaper, and the sizes are small. Exotic warm-water shrimp are larger, well-fed and look respectable, but in taste somewhat inferior to cold-water. The most delicious shrimp called, which is extracted from the northern coast of Canada and Greenland.
In fact, Russia itself is a major producer of shrimp, but for some reason, our shrimp are mostly exported, while in the stores they, too, can be found. However, imported products are much higher.
Shrimp are sold chilled, canned and even alive, but more often we see in the stores Fresh-frozen and cooked frozen shrimp. Fresh-frozen considered the most valuable, since in them at a quick-freeze all useful, given that nature.
Cheaper to buy small shrimp, which are sold by weight, but experts in the field of culinary arts belong to him without enthusiasm, because they are not labeled and it is impossible to understand who is the producer. It is best to take the shrimp in a package on which there is complete information about the product and its manufacturer. How to choose the shrimp. The quality of shrimp
What you need to know about the shrimp, at least in general terms, to correctly select the product in the store? People living in big cities and not knowing what the inhabitants of the sea, it can be difficult in two ways. Therefore, we must know what needs to be written on the packaging and carefully study the information before buying, because shrimp is still not belong to the category of cheap food, and get value for money low-quality goods would be unpleasant. Prawns are usually sold packed in bags. As a rule, domestic shrimp packed in 1 kg and 0.5 kg, and shrimp foreign producers sell at 200 and 300grammovyh plastic containers, although this is not always the case.
Producer information should be as complete as possible, and to specify the contact information: phone, e-mail, website, etc.
Indicated on the package numbers indicate the approximate number of shrimp in 1kg of the product, for example - 100/120 means that the package can be from 100 to 120 shrimp. This value is also called "the caliber of shrimp." Thus, large shrimp in 1kg will be smaller and smaller, respectively, more. Unfortunately, not all the information about the product can be found on the packaging, so you have to be careful. And the producers and sellers of goods often try to "make hay" and offer consumers a quality not too good at quite a high price.
Some manufacturers in the packaging can easily mix product mix of large and expensive shrimp with smaller and cheaper, or even sell small to large price. The same can be done in the store, writing on the price list figures for the other caliber. That is why the need to read the information on the package in full, and yet the eye is not too lazy to determine in large or small shrimp.
Next nostrum manufacturers - sales of iced shrimp. When frozen shrimp on a thin ice layer, which protects the product and allowing for a long time to maintain its useful properties. However, unscrupulous producers may namorozit on shrimp than one layer of ice, but several, so that the size and weight of shrimp increases, and with them the price. If you're not too careful when buying, the home, after defrosting shrimp, you may be unpleasantly surprised by the true size and weight of the product.
Storage of products in our shops and supermarkets, too, often leaves much to be desired. For example, shrimp were kept in conditions of temperature swings, lose their bright color and become pale pink. In such cases, the package can be a lot of snow. Many packages can be peremorozhennymi shrimp, and hide it by using polyethylene red. 

The quality of shrimp can also be judged by the color of their heads. If the head of dark, almost black, this low-quality goods, not lain in the frozen state for too long. Greenish heads of those shrimp, which feed on plankton, but the product quality is not affected. What to buy shrimp - cooked and frozen or Fresh-frozen? Can those others, it depends on your taste. The main product to be high quality and fresh. Buying cooked frozen shrimp, choose those that are frozen block, and not too small. So they have better preserved valuable substances, whereas in frozen individually, they can frozen storage. You should not cook these shrimp longer than stated on the packaging, but sometimes it is enough simply to warm up.
Fresh-frozen shrimp still preferable than boiled, because they saved nearly all the nutrients and vitamins. Do not thaw frozen shrimp at once at room temperature, but first put them in the refrigerator on the bottom shelf - the process should be gradual. Use shrimp. Composition of shrimp: vitamins and minerals
In use of shrimp as a product of today, no one doubts. Vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids in these crustaceans so much that they would be enough to always be in good physical shape. In the shrimp a lot of iodine, calcium, potassium, zinc, sulfur, and there are polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-3.
All of these components provides the body with normal growth and development of cells, coordinating the work of internal organs, regulate the blood, supports hormone balance and improve the nutrition of skin, hair and nails.
People who regularly use shrimp, suffer less from allergies, vascular diseases, characterized by a strong immune system. Nutritionists prescribe shrimp as a therapeutic food for people who are prone to develop inflammation and respiratory diseases, as well as for the prevention of cancer. Useful properties of shrimp
It is now known antioxidant properties of shrimp, which they are entitled because of the content of astaxanthin - a powerful natural carotenoid, which imparts a beautiful color of shrimp. No other carotenoids, even a well-known beta-carotene, such beneficial properties are the same. Therefore, the use of shrimp keeps youth for many years, contributing to the formation and development of cells and tissues. Who are harmful shrimp
Who use bad shrimp? Perhaps no one - they can give even the children. The only condition, as in all things related to food - not abused and do not overeat.
In recent years, scientists argue about the content of cholesterol in shrimp, and opinions differ. Some believe that cholesterol is "bad," others - "good." Whatever it was, cholesterol in a given number is in many foods, and you should not get hung up on this, and should comply with a reasonable measure.
And of course, an important condition is the environmental situation in the place of the world ocean, where they caught shrimp, as they have the ability to absorb everything: from toxins to industrial waste. It is therefore very important to find the package with shrimp complete information about the region and manufacturers.