Seafood Expert Tasting Heukbyeon Snow Crab: "The Umami Is Rich..."

Posted Video of Eating Directly on YouTube Channel
"No Rotten Smell... Does Not Harm the Body"

A seafood expert who explained the so-called 'blackened snow crab' controversy?where snow crabs bought in Noryangjin were found to have turned black?has become a hot topic after tasting the blackened crab himself. Previously, there was a heated debate online about whether the blackened crab was spoiled food or a blackening phenomenon.

Fish columnist Kim Ji-min posted a video on June 9 on his YouTube channel 'Memories of Bites' showing himself eating the blackened snow crab. In the video, Kim purchased snow crabs from a seafood market in Incheon and observed whether the blackening phenomenon occurred by placing them at room temperature (22?24°C) and in a cool veranda (10°C). Considering that the controversial crab was a cut snow crab, he separated the body and legs for the experiment.

The experiment showed that blackening occurred in crabs placed both at room temperature and in the veranda. After about 20 hours, the crab left at room temperature had completely turned black on both legs and body, while the veranda-kept crab showed less blackening but still exhibited the phenomenon.

Fish columnist Kim Ji-min who consumed black-spotted snow crab [Image source=Captured from Memories of Bites]

Kim explained, "(The crab) was continuously exposed to oxygen, causing the flesh to soften and the internal organs to leak and dissolve." Regarding the black liquid collected in the crab shell, he said, "It is the crab's blood."

Kim then tasted the crab himself. He said, "Interestingly, it just smells like crab. There is no rotten smell," and added, "The internal organs do not smell rotten either. There is no odor that could come from the intestines." However, he judged that the internal organs would be difficult to eat.

After eating the crab left at room temperature, Kim commented, "It's delicious," and said, "The umami flavor is strongly felt." Having tasted the internal organs as well, he said, "They were not spoiled but had a strong fishy taste," emphasizing, "The black substance is melanin, which is harmless to us."

In response to a viewer's question, "Even if the crab is not rotten, wouldn't its commercial value decrease?" Kim replied, "Cut snow crabs easily show the blackening phenomenon, so they are sold at a lower price."

[Image source=Captured from Memories of Fishing]

He added, "Not all blackened crabs are unspoiled. They can turn black and spoil," and emphasized, "Merchants should not exploit this."

He continued, "If the blackened crab is still edible, you can buy it cheaply," and added, "I hope many people's misunderstandings are cleared up."

The controversy first arose late last year on an internet community when a netizen posted that "the snow crab my son bought at Noryangjin seafood market turned completely black." As the controversy grew, the merchant who sold the cut snow crab to the son reportedly stopped business and was investigated by the merchant disciplinary committee.

However, Kim suggested that the crab was not spoiled but likely underwent the blackening phenomenon. This was because when live snow crabs are cut and exposed to oxygen for a long time, blackening occurs. However, since in Korea snow crabs are mainly kept in aquariums and steamed immediately upon order, the blackening phenomenon might be unfamiliar to seafood handlers.

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