It looks ugly, but it tastes better than shrimps and crabs. Every time I meet it, I don’t hesitate to buy a few kilograms to satisfy my craving.

As a native of Dalian, I have lived in this coastal city for decades. The happiest thing is that there is seasonal seafood to eat all year round. For example, at this time in April every year, the most delicious food is the "monster shrimp". This thing is particularly popular with locals in Dalian. Looking at the whole country, "shrimp monster" is the only independent trading species in the Dalian seafood market. The local production in Dalian is simply not enough for locals to eat, and they have to be fished and transported from Dandong and the distant sea. Come.

What I am holding in my hand is a freshly shelled shrimp monster. It looks weird, like a shrimp, a crab, and a bit like freshwater crayfish. Many outsiders who come to Dalian for the first time don’t recognize it and don’t know how to eat it.

In fact, it is a kind of hermit crab that often lives in the conch shell, which is what we Dalian people call conch shell. It crawls with the shell on its back and will retract into the shell when frightened. In Dalian, it is mainly produced in the surrounding waters such as Zhangzi Island and Haiyang Island in Changhai County. It is generally caught with bottom nets or fishing pots. April in spring is its egg-laying period, and it is also the most plump, tender and delicious time. Many stalls in Dalian's wet market will crack conch shells on the spot and pull out live shrimp monsters for sale. It generally sells for about 25 yuan per catty, and the bigger and fresher the more expensive it is.

The easiest and most delicious way to eat fresh shrimp is to steam it. Wash it clean first, then put it in a steamer filled with cold water. Steam it over high heat for about 15 minutes. When the color turns red and is cooked, open the pot and serve it. You will eat it with its original flavor.

Its nutrition is similar to that of shrimps and crabs. The meat of big turtle is very delicious, sweeter and more tender than crab meat. In fact, this is not the only delicious part of it. If you only eat the "big pliers" and throw away the head and belly, it would be a waste of resources. Next, let me tell you how to enjoy the delicious food step by step without wasting it.

Let the steamed shrimp monsters cool first. I picked a rare big one to show you. This kind of big one tastes "bloody" (meaning "refreshing" in Dalian dialect), but it is relatively rare. The ones commonly found in the market are palm-sized.

The first step is to break off the big claws (large pliers) and each lower leg. The spines on the shell are very smooth, not barbs like shrimp crawlers, so you don’t have to worry about pricking your hands.

Then peel the big turtle and eat it. The shell of the shrimp monster is thinner than the crab shell. You can use your back molars to bite the shell gently and knock out the cracks, then you can break it open with your hands.

It’s very simple up to this point. You can eat a big turtle completely after peeling it open. The rest of the calves are similarly operated, so I won’t go into details.

Next, eat the head of the shrimp monster. Separate the head and belly of the shrimp monster.

Open the head shell, which is as soft as a pink flake, and throw away the top cover. Split the triangular part at the bottom from the middle and you can see the meat hidden in the middle. This part of the meat is connected to the big turtle and calf, so it can be pulled out and eaten. Note that there are shrimp monster gills on both sides. Although they are also white, they are used to filter microorganisms and impurities in the water, so they cannot be eaten. You can throw away the head after eating the meat.

Then eat the shrimp monster's belly. Not only outsiders, but also many Dalian people are confused about whether the stomach of the shrimp monster can be eaten? Some people feel that their stomachs are dirty and full of poop, so they must not eat them; others feel that the belly of the shrimp monster has a special taste and is the most delicious.

In fact, the answer is, as long as it is fresh, it will be fine. In the belly of the shrimp monster are its digestive glands, reproductive glands, and liver. So its stomach tastes slightly bitter but sweet. Therefore, eating the stomach of shrimp monster is the same as eating shrimp roe, crab roe, and crab paste. It all depends on personal preference, and eating it will not cause any harm to the body. However, if the shrimp monster is not fresh and its belly will crack and turn black after being cooked, you must not eat it.

Just like in my picture, if you tear open the soft belly of the shrimp monster, you can see the black digestive glands inside, just like the shrimp thread. If you remove this part, this tight line in the belly will appear. Don't throw away the tender meat, it's very chewy and delicious.