Seafood refers to edible marine animals such as freshwater fish, saltwater fish, and shellfish.
Freshwater fish can be found in rivers and lakes; saltwater fish are from the oceans or seas. The quality of the product must be impeccable and fresh. The flesh has a bright, translucent clarity and a sweet smell with no trace of a fishy odor. The scales should be intact and shiny, the eyes full and not sunken, and the gills a bright red.
Shellfish are invertebrate aquatic animals with a shell or covering. There are two main classes of shellfish: crustacean and mollusk. Crustaceans are mostly from saltwater locales except crayfish which come from fresh water. These include lobster, spiny lobster, crabs, and shrimp and must be bought very fresh; they are always best bought live. Mollusks are clams, cockles, mussels, oysters, and scallops. Only mollusks with closed shells or which close on touching should be retained. Mollusks which are cooked in their shells and which remain closed after cooking should not be eaten for health reasons.
North Americans love seafood and certain areas have become famous for their catches. Maryland and New Jersey are known for their blue claw crabs. Shrimping has become a huge industry along the Atlantic and within the Gulf Coast states. Lobster and clams often come from the New England area.
Seafood favors in many cuisines especially Japanese cooking. The Japanese love their fish in sushi and sashimi and such dishes, which were a rarity a few years back, have become quite popular in recent years due to its beautiful presentation, health benefits, and exceptional taste. Most people imagine fried shrimp, lobster with drawn butter, and fish cakes when they hear the word "seafood," but fish and shellfish are amazingly versatile and can be used in many different dishes from soups and stews to cold appetizers to main entrées.
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