Deveining
Encyclopedia
Deveining is the removal of the gastrointestinal tract
of a shrimp
, a common part of preparing them for human consumption. The digestive tract is a dark band running from the head to the tail of the animal, where the spine
would be if they were vertebrate
s. In females, the reproductive canal is also in the same area.
One must first cut a slit in the shell and the back of the animal. Special deveining tools are sometimes used but knives, skewers, and even toothpicks can be used to devein.
Removing the vein is not essential, as it is not poisonous and is mostly tasteless. Deveining does slightly change the flavour and makes it more consistent. Shrimp also sometimes consume small amounts of sand by accident and the vein thus might be gritty.
Gastrointestinal tract
The human gastrointestinal tract refers to the stomach and intestine, and sometimes to all the structures from the mouth to the anus. ....
of a shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, a common part of preparing them for human consumption. The digestive tract is a dark band running from the head to the tail of the animal, where the spine
Vertebral column
In human anatomy, the vertebral column is a column usually consisting of 24 articulating vertebrae, and 9 fused vertebrae in the sacrum and the coccyx. It is situated in the dorsal aspect of the torso, separated by intervertebral discs...
would be if they were vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
s. In females, the reproductive canal is also in the same area.
One must first cut a slit in the shell and the back of the animal. Special deveining tools are sometimes used but knives, skewers, and even toothpicks can be used to devein.
Removing the vein is not essential, as it is not poisonous and is mostly tasteless. Deveining does slightly change the flavour and makes it more consistent. Shrimp also sometimes consume small amounts of sand by accident and the vein thus might be gritty.