Seafood YouTuber: "It's not rotten snow crab but discolored... No freshness issues"

Covered the 'Rotten Snow Crab Incident' that caused controversy on YouTube
Also sparked controversy in Japan due to black discoloration phenomenon at one time

A merchant at Noryangjin Fish Market, who caused controversy by selling blackened 'daege' to a high school student, has temporarily suspended business operations and is under investigation by the merchant disciplinary committee. Meanwhile, a seafood YouTuber who saw the photo expressed the opinion that "it does not seem to be rotten daege." On the 2nd, fish columnist and YouTuber Kim Ji-min addressed the 'Noryangjin Rotten Daege Incident' that became controversial at the end of last year on her YouTube channel 'Memories of Bites.' Kim explained, "To conclude, it does not seem to be rotten crab."

A merchant at Noryangjin Fish Market, who caused controversy by selling blackened "daege" to high school students, has temporarily suspended operations and is under investigation by the merchant disciplinary committee. Meanwhile, a seafood expert who saw the photo expressed the opinion that "it does not seem to be rotten daege."
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Ipjil-ui Chueok']

The incident became controversial last month when Mr. A posted online that the crab his son, a second-year high school student, brought home was rotten. Mr. A said, "My son said he was going to Noryangjin Fish Market with a friend just to look around, and about three hours later, he came home carrying three black bags. There was a strong fishy smell like rotten fish coming from the bags, so I checked and found out he had bought crab legs. But when I took the items out, I was shocked," and he shared photos.

Regarding these photos, Kim said, "Rather than the entire crab leg being black, the blackened parts are the cracks, the parts exposed to outside air, and the joints. The common factor is that these are parts where oxygen comes in contact. In short, it is a sign of oxidation." She added, "This is called the blackening phenomenon. It was a big issue in Japan, where daege is widely consumed, but the misunderstanding was cleared up."

"Oxidation occurs when compounds meet oxygen"

Regarding this photo, Mr. Kim said, "Rather than the entire leg of the snow crab being black, it is the cracked gaps, the parts exposed to outside air, and the joints that are black. The common factor is that these are areas where oxygen comes in contact. In short, it is a sign of oxidation." He continued, "This is called the blackening phenomenon, and it was a major issue in Japan, where snow crabs are widely consumed, but the misunderstanding was eventually cleared up."
[Photo source=YouTube channel 'Ipjil-ui Chueok']

Daege and king crabs contain a substance called tyrosine, a type of amino acid. Kim explained that when tyrosine meets a compound called tyrosinase, which is present in bodily fluids and blood, along with oxygen, oxidation occurs, resulting in melanin pigmentation. She added, "Because of this, the parts exposed to oxygen or cracks blacken first, and then the discoloration spreads overall."

However, she noted that even merchants specializing in daege might not be aware of the blackening phenomenon. Kim said, "Even if you sell daege your whole life, you might not know about it. More than 95% of daege are sold alive in tanks. When customers order, the crabs are taken out of the tank and steamed immediately, so there is almost no chance to see the blackening phenomenon." She explained that the problematic daege was a 'cut daege' with a wide area exposed to oxygen, and the customer used public transportation, which might have accelerated the blackening process.

Snow crabs and king crabs contain a substance called tyrosine, which is a type of amino acid. Mr. Kim explained that when tyrosine meets a compound called tyrosinase found in body fluids and blood along with oxygen, oxidation occurs, resulting in melanin pigmentation. He added, "Because of this, the parts that come into contact with oxygen or the cracks turn black first, and then the discoloration spreads overall."
[Photo source=YouTube channel 'Ipjil-ui Chueok']

She said, "At room temperature, it can blacken in 2 to 3 hours. Especially for cut daege, if left unsteamed, the blackening happens quickly." She added, "The student reportedly took more than an hour using public transportation. Although speculative, the heating on public transport might have accelerated the blackening. Or the blackening might have already occurred at the market but was unnoticed when purchased."

Finally, Mr. Kim emphasized, "The blackening phenomenon does not indicate a freshness problem. It just looks bad on the surface, but it does not spoil the taste. At the very least, the blackened part is not rotten; it is the blackening phenomenon."
[Photo by YouTube channel 'Ipjil-ui Chueok']

Regarding the claim that there was a 'fishy smell,' she said, "Daege naturally has a fishy smell. Because it looks black to the naked eye, people might misunderstand and think the smell is from rot." She added, "If it were spoiled, it would smell like ammonia." Finally, Kim emphasized, "The blackening phenomenon does not indicate a freshness problem. It only looks bad externally and does not affect the taste. At least, the blackened crab is not rotten but shows the blackening phenomenon."

Netizens' opinions were divided over Kim's explanation. One netizen commented, "This is why we need to know properly," and "The unfairness of the daege seller has been resolved." On the other hand, there were negative comments as well. Some netizens said, "Once the blackening occurs, it would ruin the appetite," and "The seller can't explain properly, so how could the buyer know?"

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.