On food and cooking the science and lore of the kitchen ( PDFDrive ) 366

Parasites Parasites are not bacteria or viruses: they’re animals, from single-celled protozoa to large worms, that take up residence in one or more animal “hosts” and use them for both shelter and nourishment during parts of their life cycle There are more than 50 that can be transmitted to people who eat fish raw or undercooked, a handful of which are relatively common, and may require surgery to remove Thanks to their more complex biological organization, parasites are sensitive to freezing (bacteria generally aren’t) So there’s a simple rule for eliminating parasites in fish and shellfish: either cook the food to a minimum of 140ºF/60ºC, or prefreeze it The U.S FDA recommends freezing at –31ºF/– 35ºC for 15 hours, or –10ºF/–23ºC for seven days, treatments that are not feasible in home freezers, which seldom dip below 0ºF Poisonings Caused by Toxic Algae Type of Poisoning Usual Regions Diarrhetic shellfish Japan, Europe, poisoning Canada Amnesic shellfish U.S Pacific coast, New poisoning England Neurotoxic shellfish Gulf of Mexico, poisoning Florida Paralytic shellfish U.S Pacific coast, New poisoning England Ciguatera Caribbean, Hawaii, South poisoning Pacific Type of Poisoning Usual Sources Diarrhetic shellfish Mussels, poisoning scallops Amnesic shellfish Mussels, clams, poisoning Dungeness crab Neurotoxic shellfish Clams, poisoning oysters Paralytic shellfish Clams, mussels, oysters, ...Type of Poisoning Usual Regions Diarrhetic shellfish Japan, Europe, poisoning Canada Amnesic shellfish U.S Pacific coast, New poisoning England Neurotoxic shellfish Gulf of Mexico, poisoning... poisoning England Ciguatera Caribbean, Hawaii, South poisoning Pacific Type of Poisoning Usual Sources Diarrhetic shellfish Mussels, poisoning scallops Amnesic shellfish Mussels, clams, poisoning... scallops Amnesic shellfish Mussels, clams, poisoning Dungeness crab Neurotoxic shellfish Clams, poisoning oysters Paralytic shellfish Clams, mussels, oysters,