Why are hairtail slices cheaper than hairtail? Why are hairtail slices in supermarkets so cheap?

We all know that hairtail is a common delicacy. It is delicious, tender, nutritious, and very popular. Many people like to eat hairtail. There are many kinds of hairtail, including whole hairtail, frozen hairtail segments, etc. Hairtail segments are generally cheaper than hairtail. So why are hairtail segments so cheap? Let's take a closer look!

Why are the cuttlefish in supermarkets cheaper than the whole ones?

1. Fish has different quality depending on where it comes from

The hairtail fish in supermarkets are mostly imported hairtail fish, and some are hairtail fish from the South China Sea. These hairtail fish have a hard bone inside, which is not tasty. The whole hairtail fish is generally produced locally, and the taste is much better than the hairtail fish.

There are several famous hairtail producing areas in our country, such as the hairtail from Zhoushan Islands, the hairtail from Diaoyu Islands, the hairtail from Bohai Bay, and the hairtail from the Yellow Sea. The prices of all of them are relatively expensive.

2. Different processing methods

The processing of hairtail segments is all done by putting them in ice and freezing them. Although the unit price looks cheap, the water content is also very large. People who understand know that if marine fish are soaked in fresh water, they will increase in weight. Many fishmongers who collect fish at the seaside use fresh water to wash the fish, and the selling price in the market is the same as the purchase price at the seaside. In fact, they earn "water money"! The principle of hairtail segments is similar to it, and the price of shrimps in ice is relatively cheap.

Whole hairtail fish are sold at a higher price because they need to let consumers know where they are produced, and they are usually caught and kept fresh with ice cubes. The transportation distance is relatively short.

3. The taste of the two fish is very different

The whole hairtail has its own unique aroma, especially the fresh hairtail without a broken belly and with a shiny silvery skin. Simply stewing it in clear water will bring out the unique freshness of hairtail. The hairtail slices in the supermarket can only be fried. Other cooking methods will make the taste very bad, basically smelling fishy and not fishy.

The current price of hairtail from Bohai Bay and Zhoushan fishing grounds may be equivalent to dozens of kilograms of hairtail segments, but there is still "shortage of supply"! This shows that consumers are discerning and "cheap goods are not good" is a hard truth.

Fish is usually eaten fresh, and the freshness of a whole hairtail is much better than that of a hairtail that has been frozen for who knows how long, so the price is naturally much more expensive!

Why is there a big price difference between hairtail segments and whole hairtail?

The frozen cutlassfish in supermarkets are cheaper than the whole cutlassfish. One main reason is the difference in production areas; the other is the weight of the ice.

In Weihai, we divide the common hairtail on the market into two types: one is called southern hairtail, which is mostly caught in southern my country and some foreign tropical regions; the other is called local hairtail, which is mostly produced near the Bohai Bay in the north.

The prices of different types of hairtail vary greatly.

The price of hairtail can vary by several times or even dozens of times, depending on the origin, freshness, and whether it is intact or broken. The key is that the local hairtail (from Bohai Sea) has always been in short supply. If there are some festivals, the local hairtail is even more out of stock and cannot be bought at all.

The easiest way to distinguish southern hairtail from local hairtail (Bohai):

Look at the eyes. The southern hairtail has yellow eyes, while the local knife fish has white eyes.

The hairtail in the south is larger, wider, has harder bones, a stronger fishy smell, and rough meat, so it is not suitable for steaming, but is more suitable for braising and frying. The local hairtail is smaller, fatter, has tender meat, and not as fishy, ​​making it ideal for steaming.

As for the frozen hairtail covered with ice, it is equivalent to selling some water at the price of fish, so I won’t go into details.

In addition, hairtail cannot be artificially farmed on a large scale at present, so what you can buy are all wild hairtails.

What is the difference between the hairtail segments and the whole hairtail in the supermarket?

First of all, the prices of hairtail from different production areas will be different. We are in Qidong at the mouth of the Yangtze River. There is a Lushi in Qidong. The hairtail here is said to be the best. It is shiny silver all over, the shiny silvery white. The ones from other places are silver but black, and their eyes are smaller than those from other places. The size ratio of the head to the body is not as obvious as that from other places. Therefore, the hairtail here, even if purchased locally, is far better than the hairtail shipped from other places.

Secondly, the taste of hairtail caught at different times is different. The hairtail caught in spring and autumn is not as good as that caught in winter. In winter, hairtail reserves a lot of fat, has a delicate taste, and feels fat when eaten. Some people here also call it oily hairtail, and the price differs by several times. Coupled with the factor of the Spring Festival, the hairtail before the Spring Festival costs hundreds of yuan for a larger one, and only about ten or twenty yuan for an ordinary-sized one.

Another point is that a lot of frozen hairtail has been frozen for a long time, and its color looks a little yellow. Freezing hairtail for a short time will not affect the taste, but it will be different if it is frozen for a slightly longer time. We will not eat the one that is yellow. People who don’t eat much seafood can’t tell the difference, especially after braising it.

How to choose delicious hairtail species

1. Look at the head of the hairtail

Generally, domestic hairtail has a small head, a pointed mouth, and small black eyes.

The hairtails shipped abroad have long mouths, long exposed teeth, large yellow eyes.

2. Look at the size

Nowadays, the best domestic hairtail fish usually weighs about one kilogram, and those weighing more than two kilograms are rarely seen in the market.

Many imported hairtails are large in size, weighing more than two kilograms. Such hairtails have hard bones in their bones and are not tasty at all. The meat is woody and has no freshness.