说到龙虾,国内的朋友大部分接触到的是高级餐厅里昂贵的澳洲龙虾,或者街边都能吃到的麻辣“小龙虾”(淡水龙虾)。而在北美的朋友们,大多接触到的是缅因龙虾(Maine Lobster),或者是加州龙虾。经过一翻搜索和研究,我发现其实“龙虾”一词是被大家广义的用来统称这类硬壳虾,而其实这里面还有不少不同之处。
我们平时能吃的龙虾都属于“动物界>节肢动物门>软甲纲>十足目”,再往下分就是主要区别所在了。一般大家看到的澳洲龙虾和加州龙虾属于“无螯下目>龙虾科”,所以严格定义上讲,它们才是龙虾。而缅因龙虾和淡水龙虾属于“螯虾下目>海螯虾科/螯虾科”,它们的学名应该是海螯虾/螯虾。海螯蝦因为体型与龙虾相近,且二者皆可食用,常被人们认为是龙虾的一种。而在科学分类上:
- 龙蝦长着长、粗、多刺的触角,海螯蝦的触角较细较短。
- 海螯蝦有一对大螯(钳子),而龙虾没有螯。
- 小龙虾其实是海螯虾生活在淡水中的小个子近亲,和真正的龙虾反而隔了点距离。
龙虾名字的中英对照:
龙虾: Spiny lobsters, also known as langouste or rock lobsters are a family (Palinuridae) of about 45 species of achelate crustaceans, in the Decapoda Reptantia. Spiny lobsters are also, especially in Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, sometimes called crayfish, sea crayfish or crawfish, terms which elsewhere are reserved for freshwater crayfish.
海螯虾: clawed lobsters comprise a family (Nephropidae, sometimes also Homaridae) of large marine crustaceans. Though several groups of crustaceans are known as lobsters, the clawed lobsters are most often associated with the name. They are also revered for their flavor and texture. Clawed lobsters are not closely related to spiny lobsters or slipper lobsters, which have no claws (chelae), or squat lobsters. The closest relatives of clawed lobsters are the reef lobsters and the three families of freshwater crayfish.
小龙虾: Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – members of the superfamilies Astacoidea and Parastacoidea – are freshwater crustaceans resembling small lobsters, to which they are related.
烹饪龙虾:
从食物的角度上来讲,大龙虾主要的肉在腰和尾巴部分,所以很多餐馆里卖的龙虾只有下半身(Lobster Tail)。但是海螯虾因为钳子很大,所以除了尾巴意外,钳子肉有非常甜美。除了整只清蒸以外,美国人常常将缅因龙虾的尾巴高价单卖(比如牛排馆里的Surf and Turf这道菜就是牛排+龙虾尾巴),然后将钳子肉煮熟切块拌上美奈兹加在面包中吃(新英格兰地区著名的Lobster Roll)。
亚洲做法中,新鲜的澳洲龙虾可以做成刺身来吃,缅因龙虾不太适合。除此之外,清蒸,姜葱,椒盐,麻辣也是常见的龙虾烹饪方法。
而小龙虾因为在淡水和沼泽中长大,所以稍微有点腥味。所以不管煮着吃还是炒着吃,都要加点辣椒或其它香料来压住腥味。
参考资料:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiny_lobster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lobster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crayfish