On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 365

including histamine, a substance that our cells use to signal each other in response to damage; antihistamine drugs give some relief Shellfish and Ciguatera Poisonings Fish and shellfish share the waters with many thousands of animal and plant species, some of which engage in nasty chemical warfare with each other At least 60 species of onecelled algae called dinoflagellates produce defensive toxins that also poison the human digestive and nervous systems Several of these toxins can kill We don’t consume dinoflagellates directly, but we do eat animals that eat them Bivalve filter feeders — mussels, clams, scallops, oysters — concentrate algal toxins in their gills and/or digestive organs, and then transmit the poisons to other shellfish — usually crabs and whelks — or to humans Accordingly, most dinoflagellate poisonings are called “shellfish poisonings.” Many countries now routinely monitor waters for the algae and shellfish for the toxins, so the greatest risk is from shellfish gathered privately There are several distinct types of shellfish poisoning, each caused by a different toxin and each with somewhat different symptoms (see box below), though all but one are marked by tingling, numbness, and weakness within minutes to hours after eating Dinoflagellate toxins are not destroyed by ordinary cooking, and some actually become more toxic when heated Suspect shellfish should therefore be avoided altogether Finfish generally don’t accumulate toxins from algae The exceptions are a group of tropical reef fish — barracuda, groupers, jacks, king mackerel, mahimahi, mullets, porgies, snappers, wahoo — that prey on an algae-eating snail (cigua) and can cause ciguatera poisoning  ...countries now routinely monitor waters for the algae and shellfish for the toxins, so the greatest risk is from shellfish gathered privately There are several distinct types of shellfish poisoning, each caused by a different toxin... ordinary cooking, and some actually become more toxic when heated Suspect shellfish should therefore be avoided altogether Finfish generally don’t accumulate toxins from algae The exceptions are a group of. .. poisoning, each caused by a different toxin and each with somewhat different symptoms (see box below), though all but one are marked by tingling, numbness, and weakness within minutes to hours after eating Dinoflagellate toxins are not destroyed by