What is the reason for the blackheads in frozen shrimp? Can the blackheads in frozen shrimp still be eaten?

Ice shrimp, also known as Arctic shrimp, is a kind of cold-water shrimp that grows in the Arctic Ocean. Good ice shrimp are plump and well-proportioned, and their meat is sweet and tender. Ice shrimp can be bought from many channels, but it is also very common for ice shrimp to have "black heads", that is, the shrimp heads turn black. Why is this?

What is the reason for blackheads in ice shrimp

Wild Arctic shrimp feed on black seaweed, and its stomach grows on its head. The "blackhead" is actually plankton and algae in the deep sea. When fishing, the surrounding air pressure changes, and the stomach of some shrimps' heads rupture due to pressure, so the shrimp heads will have microorganisms emitted from the stomach, forming "blackheads".

Or there are mature shrimp eggs in the abdomen of female shrimp, which are about to leave the female shrimp, and they will have black spots, and the shrimp eggs are also on the head at the beginning. So it will also look like a "black head".

Can I still eat frozen blackhead shrimp?

The frozen shrimps have black and green heads, which affects their appearance but does not affect their edibility.

Arctic shrimp live two to three hundred meters deep in the sea, and mainly feed on seaweed. During the fishing process, the huge pressure difference from the deep sea to the ocean can cause the shrimp stomach to rupture, resulting in black and blue heads of Arctic shrimp. It is a bit troublesome to eat, and some shrimp heads will taste bitter.

In addition, when some female shrimps have mature roe in their bodies, the heads of these shrimps will also appear dark in color, so they are still edible.

Can frozen shrimp heads still be eaten?

Although ice shrimps live in the deep sea and are less polluted, it is still not recommended to eat them.

Because the shrimp head contains the shrimp stomach responsible for digestion and the shrimp's excretion organs, a lot of dirt will accumulate. Therefore, it is recommended to peel the shrimp head before eating.