In some places, loach is called "ginseng in the water", and it is also said to be "turtle dove in the sky, loach in the water". This shows that people fully recognize the taste and nutrition of loach.

So loach is a delicacy in the minds of many people, and there are many ways to eat loach, but no matter how you eat it, you cannot bypass the step of cleaning the ingredients. Let’s answer this question today.

When cooking loach dishes, should you remove the internal organs?

There are actually different opinions on this issue, mainly because everyone has different starting points for looking at the problem. Some people think that "you won't get sick if you eat it uncleanly", and some people think that "diseases come from the mouth, so you should take what you eat seriously". The criteria for making judgments are different. So what can we get? The conclusion is naturally different. Personally, I still prefer to remove the internal organs of loaches. Let’s talk about the specific reasons in detail below.

Generally when we weigh whether to remove a certain part of an ingredient, we basically think from the following two aspects:

⑴: Is there any harm in eating this part, and what is its edible value?

⑵: Will this part affect the texture or taste of the dish?

We can also look at the internal organs of the loach from these two aspects, and it will be obvious whether this part needs to be removed.

Article 1: Is there any harm in eating loach internal organs and what is its edible value?

The loach is a bottom fish with a wide distribution and strong adaptability. They are different from many other fish in that they have a special intestinal respiratory structure, so even in low-oxygen environments such as rotting plants and mud, loaches can survive by occasionally jumping out of the water to swallow air. Even if the living environment is relatively dirty and harsh, loaches can still survive, but being able to survive does not mean that they will not be polluted by the harsh living environment. Therefore, relatively speaking, loaches and other bottom-dwelling fish with mixed diets and scavenging habits, Among many fish, it is relatively easy to get dirty.

And because the loach lives at the bottom of the water and in the mud, its food is small water bugs, rotten aquatic plants, small fish and other small underwater creatures, so its internal organs, especially the residue in its intestines, are It's definitely not clean. Even if eating the internal organs of a loach may not cause any direct harm, it is at least certainly not beneficial and its edible value is very low.

Article 2: Will the internal organs of loach affect the texture or taste of the dishes?

This is almost certain. Although the internal organs of loach are small, they will have an impact on the texture or taste of the final dish, and this impact will not be positive normally.

For example, loach bile is relatively bitter. Although there are no toxins in it, after all, a fish dish tastes bitter when you take a bite, which is not a good food experience. As for the high medicinal value of loach gallbladder? There is no basis for this statement, and it cannot even be found in some ancient books.

For another example, the loach’s habits determine that it is a fish with a relatively strong earthy smell. The main source of its peculiar smell is the outer mucus and mucous membrane, as well as its internal organs and the fish in the internal organs. There may be some residual rotten food, even if you don't care about the taste, it will easily taste "stale" when you eat it. It is unrealistic to say that these things will not affect the texture and taste of the dishes.

So to sum up, the viscera of loach has certain food safety risks, and its nutritional value is not high, and it will also have a negative impact on the taste and texture of dishes. Apart from the fact that not removing the internal organs seems to be easier, there is really no reason to leave the internal organs of the loach.

If you are still confused about whether to remove the internal organs of the loach, you can also decide based on your own time conditions. If the loach can be raised in clean water for several days and the water is changed from time to time to force the loach to empty its intestines as much as possible, then it is true that not removing the internal organs will not have much impact. After all, this food is not eaten every day. But if you don’t have this ample time, you should just remove the internal organs of the loach like other fish. After all, eating such a thing will be harmful to your health.

As for this? It’s not good for your health. Let’s explain it a little bit. This doesn’t mean you’ll get sick immediately after eating it, or even die after eating it. If it’s serious enough, then this The description should be "toxic" or "very toxic", not just "bad for health". Is eating loach internal organs bad for your health? Just like what? For example: you hold an apple in your hand and eat it. If one of the apples falls on the ground without holding it properly, it is a bit dirty. If you pick up the apple and eat it, you may not necessarily feel uncomfortable immediately, or you will definitely get sick because of it, but most people will. I think it is not good for health to eat it without handling it and just clean it. Removing the internal organs of a loach is like washing the dirty apple thoroughly, or cutting off all the dirty parts with a knife. Although it is a bit more troublesome, it will be more comfortable both psychologically and physically. Of course, if you are a very mysophobic person, you will probably rarely eat loach, which is equivalent to giving up eating that apple.

Finally, we will share a delicious, healthy and simple recipe for making loach. Friends who are interested can give it a try. Braised loach?

Ingredients to prepare: 1 and a half pounds of loach, 1 head of garlic, 1 green and red pepper each, green onion, ginger, oil, salt, sugar, light soy sauce.

Ingredients processing:

The auxiliary ingredients such as onions, ginger, garlic, and peppers are very simple. Peel what should be peeled and slice what should be sliced. Let’s focus on processing the loach.

First rinse the surface of the loach with clean water to remove the obvious dirt, then put the loach into a large bowl, sprinkle with a little more coarse salt, cover it with a lid, and wait until the loach is gone. If there is any movement, open the lid and wash the loach with coarse salt. This will remove most of the mucus.

Then boil a pot of water and remove the head and internal organs of the loach first. After the water boils, throw the loach in and blanch it for 15 to 20 seconds and take it out. After scalding, you can more easily remove the mucous membrane outside the loach. . (The mucus and mucous membrane of loach are very dirty and have a peculiar smell)

Cooking process:

Heat the oil in the wok, and then add the auxiliary ingredients except the chopped green onion. Saute in the pot until fragrant, then add the loach and stir-fry.

Saute until the loach is broken and slightly browned, add light soy sauce, salt and sugar to taste, and stir-fry again for about 1 minute.

Pour less than half a bowl of hot water into the pot, bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer for a while until the soup thickens. Sprinkle with chopped green onion and serve on a plate.

This method is very simple. The main time is spent on processing the loach. However, if it is processed carefully, it will not have any earthy smell and it will be cleaner and safer to eat.