Shellfish

From ArticleWorld

The term shellfish refers to shelled molluscs, and crustaceans, that are generally served as food. Shelled molluscs include clams, oysters, mussels and scallops. Some of the crustaceans included in this category are shrimp, prawn, lobster and crayfish.

American Shellfish

Lobster is considered a delicacy throughout much of the United States. They are caught off the east coast of the U.S., from Maine down to the Carolina. In New England, lobster is generally served boiled, or steamed, with melted butter. Clamming is done both commercially, and recreationally, along the Northeast coastline of the Untied States. Notable is the soft-shelled clam, which is eaten fried or steamed. Many types of clams can be used for making clam chowder, but quahogs, a hard shelled clam also know as a chowder clam, are often used because the longer cooking time softens the tough meat. The Chesapeake Bay, and Maryland in general, are associated with crabs, but in recent years the area has been trying to cut back on its catch of blue crabs, as the bay's health is in trouble. This has not, however, stemmed the demand: Maryland style crabcakes are still a well known treat in crabhouses all over the bay.

Hazards

Some of these shellfish are consumed raw, and can make a person very ill from food poisoning. There is a tendency of some shellfish to feed on waste, or accumulate heavy metals, or toxins in their tissues. Jewish Kosher Law traditions forbid the eating of any shellfish.