Shaking Shrimp

Shaking Shrimp

　　Tianjin Shaking Shrimp is a famous edible aquatic shrimp from Tianjin Province and is listed as one of the Eight Delicacies.

　　Features

　　　　Tianjin Shaking Shrimp belongs to the class Malacostraca, order Decapoda, family Palaemonidae. As the name implies, Shaking Shrimp has a very short market availability period, typically around the Spring Festival, fleeting as the name implies. It refers to the shrimp’s brief life span, existing only around the Spring Festival season, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Therefore, fried shaking shrimp is the most seasonal dish in Tianjin cuisine. This type of shrimp not only boasts delicious, tender, and fragrant meat, but it is also difficult to preserve, making it extremely precious. Its color is pale pink, resembling a “baby’s face.” Locals in Tianjin are especially skilled at preparing it using methods such as quick-frying, scalding, poaching, and stir-frying shrimp kidneys. There are many ways to enjoy shaking shrimp—though restaurants commonly prepare it, the most famous dishes are stir-fried shrimp with diced shrimp and fried shaking shrimp. All are considered premium delicacies.

　　Taboos

　　　　Shrimp should not be eaten with certain fruits. Shrimp are rich in protein and calcium among other nutrients. Eating them together with tannin-rich fruits such as pomegranates, grapes, hawthorn, or persimmons can not only reduce the nutritional value of the protein but also cause the tannins to bind with calcium ions, forming insoluble compounds that irritate the stomach and intestines. This may lead to discomfort such as vomiting, dizziness, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Seafood and these fruits should be consumed at least two hours apart.

　　Nutrition

　　　　Shrimp is a delicious food that provides nourishment for the brain. If a woman has insufficient or no breast milk after childbirth, grinding 500 grams of fresh shrimp meat and taking it with warm yellow wine three times a day for several consecutive days can help stimulate lactation. It can enhance the body’s immunity and sexual function, nourish kidney yang, and combat premature aging. Shrimp shells have a calming effect and are often used to treat neurasthenia and autonomic nervous system disorders. Regular consumption of fresh shrimp (whether stir-fried, braised, or stewed), accompanied by a sip of warm wine, can treat kidney deficiency-related impotence, cold intolerance, fatigue, and soreness in the lower back and knees. Sea shrimp contain three important fatty acids that help maintain long periods of concentration.