How Much Do Blue Crayfish Cost on the Market, Plus TCM Dietary Uses, Benefits, and Contraindications

Blue crayfish is a type of lobster, widely eaten because of its high protein content and its ability to effectively maintain the potassium-sodium balance in the body and boost immunity. So how much does blue crayfish cost per jin on the market now? What are the cooking methods and benefits? Who should not eat it?

1. How much does blue crayfish cost per jin on the market?

Ordinary blue-shelled crayfish sell for about 30 to 50 yuan per jin on the market, while Australian blue crayfish range from 45 to 120 yuan. In addition, prices vary widely depending on the source and the goods. It is recommended that you consult your local market in detail and take the local price as the standard.

2. How do you cook it to make it delicious?

1. Ways to eat it:

(1) Steamed blue crayfish with minced garlic

Ingredients: 1 blue crayfish (about 1 jin), an appropriate amount of minced garlic, an appropriate amount of chili, a little salt, a little oil

Method

① Prepare the garlic and chili, and chop them separately for later use. Add cooking oil to the pan, and once the oil is hot, add the minced garlic and chili, then add a little salt and stir-fry briefly.

② Evenly scatter the stir-fried minced garlic and chili over the cleaned and butterflied crayfish. Steam in the pot for 6 to 8 minutes, and it is done! You can enjoy the deliciousness!

Tips

① Separate the crayfish head from the body, and remove the inedible parts from inside the head.

② When butterflying the crayfish, follow the lines along the back and cut the shell open evenly. After the shell is cut open, cut the meat open with scissors or a knife. Never be in such a hurry that you cut through shell and meat in one go.

③ To let the crayfish heat more evenly during cooking and to achieve a better plated presentation, you also need to cut through the connecting part at the tail when butterflying, so the crayfish can be spread open better.

(2) Crispy net-wrapped blue crayfish

Ingredients: 800 g live blue crayfish, net wrapper, egg white, starch, young ginger, scallion, refined salt, MSG, clear rice wine, peanut oil

Method

① Wash the shell of the small blue crayfish, remove the shell, take the meat, and cut it into pieces. Cut the ginger and scallion into thin shreds and set aside.

② Wash the crayfish meat with ice water, then pat it dry. Mix the crayfish meat with clear rice wine, then pat it dry. Add egg white, refined salt, and MSG and mix well, then add shredded ginger, shredded scallion, and starch to coat, and set aside.

③ Wrap the crayfish meat in the net wrapper and deep-fry it in oil until cooked.

④ Steam the crayfish head and shell until cooked, arrange on a plate to look like a whole crayfish, then plate the fried crayfish meat together with it.

Key tips for making it:

① After taking out the crayfish meat and cutting it into pieces, wash it promptly with ice water and keep it fresh in time.

② After wrapping the crayfish meat, fry it promptly to prevent the net wrapper from breaking.

2. What are the benefits of eating blue crayfish?

(1) Boosts immunity: protein is the most important nutrient for maintaining immune function, and is the main component of white blood cells and antibodies.

(2) Reduces fat and lowers blood pressure: makes blood pressure easier to control, dilates capillaries, lowers blood viscosity, and improves microcirculation. It can soften and protect blood vessels and helps lower blood lipids and cholesterol in the body. It contains relatively more vitamin C, and regular consumption can help prevent atherosclerosis or certain cardiovascular diseases.

(3) Nourishes the heart: protects the heart, protects myocardial cells, and prevents or alleviates palpitations, arrhythmia, and so on.

(4) Promotes lactation and milk production: it helps replenish qi and blood and promote milk production, and for postpartum women it has the effect of promoting milk flow, nourishing the body, and aiding recovery. It has the effect of stimulating appetite and strengthening the spleen, dispelling cold, and promoting milk secretion.

(5) Reduces swelling: it can remove toxins and excess water from the body, promote blood and water metabolism, and has diuretic and anti-edema effects.

(6) Tonifies kidney deficiency: symptoms are “cold”, sore lower back, cold limbs, aversion to cold, and edema due to kidney yang deficiency.

(7) Strengthens yang: promotes sexual function and helps produce sperm and support fertility.

3. Who should not eat it?

(1) People with an allergic constitution: crayfish can cause allergies, and eating it can trigger attacks in patients with allergic rhinitis or allergic dermatitis, so people with an allergic constitution should not eat it.

(2) Respiratory diseases: crayfish can cause allergies. When the body is stimulated by allergenic foods, it can cause bronchial spasms and mucosal swelling, leading to narrowed airways and obstructed breathing, thereby triggering bronchitis and asthma.

(3) People with skin diseases: crayfish is a wind-triggering food that can cause yang qi to rise, disturb deficient fire internally, and promote external and internal toxins, and can trigger skin diseases, so people with skin diseases should not eat lobster.

(4) People taking Chinese herbal medicine: crayfish is a triggering food and can react with Chinese herbal medicine. In mild cases it weakens the effect, and in severe cases it can interact with related components in the Chinese herbal medicine and harm health.

4. Which parts should not be eaten?

(1) The digestive tract: the digestive tract is the crayfish's intestines and other digestive system, located on the back of the shrimp. Some are very black, some are very pale, and they tend to accumulate heavy metals, so the digestive tract should be pulled out before cooking.

(2) The head: during the shrimp's growth, some harmful metal elements deposit in the head. If the head is eaten, these harmful metal elements can also have a certain effect on human health.

(3) The gills: the gill area of the shrimp is actually the “dirtiest” place, because shrimp mainly rely on the gills to filter, so harmful substances are concentrated in the gills and on the body surface. When eating, it is best not to eat the parts above the gills.

(4) Shrimp roe: shrimp roe is the lobster's gonads and sits next to the liver, so it is often contaminated, but as long as the gray liver is separated from the shrimp roe, eating it in small amounts is not a problem.