Tomalley
Type | Seafood |
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Tomalley (from the Carib word tumale, meaning a sauce of lobster liver),[1] crab fat, or lobster paste is the soft, green substance found in the body cavity of lobsters, that fulfills the functions of both the liver and the pancreas. Tomalley corresponds to the hepatopancreas in other arthropods. It is considered a delicacy, and may be eaten alone but is often added to sauces for flavour and as a thickening agent. The term lobster paste or lobster pâté can also be used to indicate a mixture of tomalley and lobster roe. Lobster bisque, lobster stock, and lobster consommé are made using lobster bodies (heads), often including tomalley.
The hepatopancreas of a crab is also called tomalley, or crab "fat"; in crabs the tomalley is yellow or yellow-green in color.[2][3][4] In Maryland and on the Delmarva Peninsula, the hepatopancreas of the blue crab is called the "muster" or "mustard", probably because of the yellow color, which is not the bright yellow of regular prepared yellow mustard, but closer to one of the brown mustards, such as Dijon mustard. Particularly when eating steamed or boiled crabs, it is considered a delicacy.
In Japan, tomalley is known as kanimiso ("crab miso").
Health risks
The tomalley in general can be consumed in moderation as with the livers of other animals. It can, however, contain high levels of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs), dioxins, PFOA and mercury which can give rise to a number of negative health effects. It may also contain toxins that are associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (saxitoxin and gonyautoxin). These toxins do not leach out when the lobster is cooked in boiling water. The toxins responsible for most shellfish poisonings are heat- and acid-stable, and thus are not diminished by cooking.
In July 2008, a report from the Maine Department of Marine Resources indicated the presence of high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin in some tomalley from lobsters in that state.[5]
Also in July 2008,
As of 2009 Maine has had a consumption advisory on lobster tomalley tissue for women who are or may become pregnant and children, because of mercury, PCBs and dioxins accumulating in it.[7]
In April 2023, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection released a report on their monitoring of surface water for ambient toxins, which included sampling marine fish and shellfish on
See also
References
- ^ "Tomalley". Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Archived from the original on July 10, 2011. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- ^ David Rosengarten (August 4, 2004). "Cravin' crabs? Create your own feast at home". MSNBC. Archived from the original on August 4, 2004. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- New York Times. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- ^ a b "FDA Advises Against Consumption of Tomalley from American Lobster (also known as "Maine Lobster")". FDA News. July 28, 2008. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- ^ Tami Dennis (July 28, 2008). "Don't eat the lobster liver! (assuming you would...)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 9, 2010.
- ^ Environmental and Occupational Health - Maine CDC - DHHS Maine (2009-06-03). "Saltwater Fish and Lobster Safe Eating Guidelines". www.maine.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-26.
- ^ a b Maine Department of Environmental Protection (2023-04-26). "Surface Water Ambient Toxics Monitoring Program Report 2021-2022" (PDF). www.maine.gov/dep.
Further reading
- James F. Lawrence, Maurica Maher & Wendy Watson-Wright (1994). "Effect of cooking on the concentration of toxins associated with paralytic shellfish poison in lobster hepatopancreas". PMID 9237337.
- Tian-Jiu Jiang, Tao Niu & Yi-Xiao Xu (2006). "Transfer and metabolism of paralytic shellfish poisoning from scallop (Chlamys nobilis) to spiny lobster (Panulirus stimpsoni)". PMID 17011007.