What is the difference between oysters and sheng hao? A quick guide to telling the two apart

Seafood dishes are so varied that food lovers never stop eating them, and among them oysters and sheng hao must be mentioned. Many people have noticed that they look alike and are simply called by different names, so what are the differences between oysters and sheng hao?

1. What are oysters and sheng hao?

1. The oyster is a mollusk of the family Ostreidae and a marine shellfish. It is widely distributed in China, from the Yalu River in the north to Hainan Island in the south, and is produced all along the coast. It has two shells, one small and flat and the other large and raised, with an uneven surface and a dark gray color. It generally attaches itself to objects in shallow seas or to coastal reefs, and feeds and breathes by opening and closing its shells, mainly filtering out tiny zooplankton, diatoms and organic debris. Its flesh is eaten, and oyster sauce can also be extracted from it; the flesh, shells and oil can all be used as medicine.

2. Sheng hao is another name for the oyster. It belongs to the phylum Mollusca, class Bivalvia, and is a type of clam. It grows in temperate and tropical seas, and the kind produced along the coast of France is the most famous. Its flesh is tender, with a pronounced fresh flavor and a fishy note, giving it a distinctive taste. It can be blanched in soup, used in gravy, braised or lightly fried, and can also be made into canned goods, or processed into dried oysters or oyster sauce.

2. The differences between oysters and sheng hao!

Sheng hao is another name for the oyster, so many people assume that oysters are sheng hao and that they are the same thing, but in fact they are not.

Difference 1, different classification: there are many kinds of oysters, and sheng hao is one of them. You can say that sheng hao is an oyster, but you cannot say that an oyster is sheng hao. The two have a subordinate relationship, with sheng hao belonging to the oyster group.

Difference 2, different size: sheng hao is larger, and a large sheng hao can weigh more than a jin; other varieties of oysters are very small, about the size of an adult's small thumb joint.

Difference 3, different growing environment: sheng hao generally lives in the relatively rare meeting place of rivers and the sea, in shallow inner bays with half-salt, half-fresh water. Because its growing environment is limited, its yield is very low. Oysters, however, are produced in China from the Bohai Sea and the Yellow Sea all the way to the Nansha Islands, with about 20 species.

Difference 4, different flesh color: the flesh of sheng hao is milky white, while the flesh of some varieties of oysters is pale blue-green.

Difference 5, different zinc content: sheng hao is very high in zinc, with 71.2 mg of zinc per 100 g, seven or eight times higher than oysters, and is called “milk from the sea.”

3. Which parts of oysters and sheng hao should not be eaten?

Since sheng hao is one kind of oyster, the parts of oysters that should not be eaten are the same for sheng hao, and the dietary restrictions for oysters are the same as those for sheng hao.

1. The outer shell and internal organs of oysters cannot be eaten. We all know the shell cannot be eaten. The internal organs cannot be eaten because the visceral mass easily traps heavy metals, seaweed or other pollutants, so pay attention when eating. If you find a slightly blackened piece of flesh, it is mostly the visceral mass and should not be eaten.

2. Before eating oysters, pay attention: first smell them, and if there is an unusual odor, it means they have spoiled and it is best not to eat them. Next, wash the sand and mud off the shells, and then it is better to remove the internal organs.

3. If oysters grow in very clean sea areas, they can be eaten raw, but if the growing environment is not very good, eating them raw is not recommended. They also cannot be eaten together with sugar, water chestnut, biond magnolia flower, beer, Evodia rutaecarpa, sorghum rice, corn, persimmon, celery, beer and so on, as this will cause food incompatibility.

The above is an introduction to the differences between oysters and sheng hao, and I hope it is useful to everyone.