~ Pissing Shrimp ~

It's been 2 days since I stepped off the plane and on to US soil. My 4 suitcases are still in the living room with boots, shoes, clothes, jewelry, beads and food scattered all over the place. I will be taking pictures of all the cool things I got from Hong Kong this weekend. Meanwhile, let's talk about food. There's a lot of seafood that is widely available in Hong Kong that's not available in the US. There's one thing that I miss a lot is the mantis shrimp which Chinese people call "Pissing Shrimp". I don't think they really pee but they shoot out a jet of liquid from their tail area as a defense mechanism, so it looks like they are peeing.

I forgot to take a picture of them before they are cooked, but I found a picture on Flickr by nika7k. They are not pretty. There are more colorful versions that live in the reefs though. But, I don't think people eat those.

So, my great aunt has a vacation house in Cheung Chau, which is an vacation spot known for its seafood and scenery. We went to visit her and she got fresh seafood from the fishermen for us. The best way to eat fresh seafood is to simply boil it! Look at this big pot of mantis shrimps!

They are a soft pink color when cooked.

We were so excited!!! Fresh seafood from the boat, boiled and eaten on the roof, under the bright blue skies and cooled by gentle breeze from the sea.

It's not easy to peel a mantis shrimp. It has really sharp points on its shell and the shell is hard. Look how I have to concentrate on peeling it. See how I was holding the head and the tail? I was wriggling it around so the meat comes off the shell. Then, I just have to peel back the shell and enjoy the delicious, soft meat. It tastes more like lobster than shrimp.

Strangely enough, the meat is white and purple.

You can get mantis shrimp as sushi or fried in various restaurants too.

Gosh, this makes me hungry! Good thing it's almost lunch time. More food pictures to come soon!