particular can be quite good. However,
domestic freezers are warmer than
commercial freezers and allow undesirable
chemical changes and general toughening to
occur (p. 206), so frozen crustacean meats
should be used as quickly as possible.
Crustacean Flavor The aromas of boiled
shrimp, lobster, crayfish, and crab are
remarkable for their nutty, popcorn-like
qualities, quite distinct from either mollusc or
fish aromas. Even meats don’t develop these
notes unless they’re actually roasted rather
than boiled. They’re due to an abundance of
molecules (pyrazines, thiazoles) that are
normally produced when amino acids and
sugars react at high temperatures (the
Maillard reactions, p. 778). These reactions
evidently take place at lower temperatures in
crustaceans, perhaps thanks to the unusual
concentration of free amino acids and sugars
in their muscle tissue. Among the amino acids