Narrator: PEOPLE HAVE BEEN
NOSHING ON SHRIMP
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF TIME,
BUT IT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN
AN EASY CATCH.
WILD STOCKS
DECLINED IN THE 20th CENTURY.
SHRIMP FARMS EMERGED
TO SUPPLY WHAT NATURE
COULDN'T.
FACTORIES PROCESS THE HARVEST,
ENSURING AN ABUNDANCE
OF READY-TO-EAT SHRIMP
FOR THE FREEZER.
JUMBO SHRIMP HAVE LONG BEEN
BIG
ON THE COCKTAIL CIRCUIT.
TODAY, IT COMES PREPPED
AND FROZEN,
COMPLETE WITH COCKTAIL SAUCE.
JUST UNWRAP AND THAW.
SHRIMP COCKTAIL IS ONE
OF THE MANY READY-TO-EAT
DISHES
PREPARED AT THIS FACTORY
IN THAILAND.
FRESH FROM THE FARM,
THE SHRIMP UNDERGOES
A QUICK COLD-WATER RINSE.
IT THEN RIDES
A PERFORATED CONVEYOR.
RINSE WATER DRAINS THROUGH
THE HOLES IN THE CONVEYOR
TO KEEP THE SHRIMP
FROM BECOMING SOGGY.
STILL COOL FROM THE ICY BATH,
THE CURLY CRUSTACEANS
SPILL OFF THE CONVEYOR
INTO PLASTIC BASKETS.
THEY WEIGH EACH BASKET
AND THEN TRANSFER THE SHRIMP
TO A LARGER TUB.
TO KEEP THE CHILL ON,
THEY ADD CRUSHED ICE
BETWEEN LOADS.
A TEMPERATURE OF
50 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT OR LESS
MUST BE MAINTAINED
THROUGHOUT PROCESSING,
OR QUALITY WILL SUFFER.
IT'S NOW TIME FOR THE
INEVITABLE -- THE DEHEADING.
USING A METAL TOOL
THAT'S LIKE AN OPEN THIMBLE,
WORKERS PULL THE HEADS OFF THE
SHRIMP WITH A FEW QUICK TUGS.
THE DEHEADING LINE
IS A LONG AND BUSY ONE.
THE HEADLESS SHRIMP
NOW TRAVEL TO SIZING ROLLERS.
THE SPACE BETWEEN THE ROLLERS
IS NARROW AT FIRST
AND WIDER FURTHER DOWN.
AS THE ROLLERS SPIN, SMALLER
SHRIMP FALL THROUGH FIRST,
AND THE LARGER ONES CONTINUE
ON
TO FALL THROUGH FURTHER DOWN.
THEY ACCUMULATE IN DIFFERENT
PILES ON CONVEYORS BELOW.
THIS SEPARATES THE SHRIMP
INTO FIVE SIZE CATEGORIES.
OUT OF THE SORTER,
AN EMPLOYEE SAMPLES
THE SHRIMP'S TEMPERATURE
TO CONFIRM THAT IT REMAINS
ADEQUATELY CHILLED.
DEHEADED AND SORTED BY SIZE,
THESE SHRIMP ARE NOW READY
TO COME OUT OF THEIR SHELLS.
ON THE SHELLING LINE,
SOME WORKERS CUT THE TAILS OFF
AND OTHERS LEAVE THEM ON,
BECAUSE THERE'S A MARKET
FOR BOTH.
AFTER THEY PEEL AWAY THE
SHELL,
THEY CUT OUT THE DIGESTIVE
TRACT
THAT RUNS ALONG THE BACK.
IT'S OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE
VEIN BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE
ONE.
WORKERS ON THIS LINE PEEL
AND DEVEIN 800 SHRIMP AN HOUR.
THE SHRIMP THEN GOES
TO DIFFERENT PREP ZONES.
AT THIS ONE,
AN EMPLOYEE DIPS TAIL-ON
SHRIMP
INTO AN EGG MIXTURE
AND THEN DREDGES THEM
IN RICE FLOUR.
HE SENDS THEM DOWN THE LINE
TO THE NEXT WORKER.
HE ROLLS THE FLOURED SHRIMP
IN RICE PAPER.
AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE'S A BIT OF TRICK TO
THIS.
HE MOISTENS THE EDGES OF
THE RICE PAPER TO SEAL THE
WRAP.
THE RESULT IS A SPRING-ROLL
APPETIZER THAT CAN BE FROZEN
UNTIL IT'S READY
TO BE COOKED AND SERVED.
IN ANOTHER AREA, A WORKER
PREPARES A BREADED RECIPE --
AGAIN, USING SHRIMP
WITH THE TAIL STILL ON.
THIS IS FINGER FOOD
AND, WITH THE TAILS ON THE
SHRIMP, WILL BE EASIER TO
GRIP.
HE SOAKS IT IN SEASONINGS
AND COATS IT IN BREADCRUMBS.
THEN HE DIPS IT IN EGG BATTER
AND BREADS IT AGAIN.
THE SECOND COATING OF CRUMBS
WILL GIVE THE SHRIMP
EXTRA CRUNCH WHEN FRIED.
THE TRAY IS NOW FULL, AND
SO IT'S OVER TO THE FRY BELT.
AFTER A QUICK TRIP
THROUGH HOT OIL,
THE BREADED SHRIMP
IS PERFECTLY FRIED.
ALL THE SHRIMP,
INCLUDING THIS RAW PRODUCT,
TAKE A BLUSTERY RIDE
THROUGH A FREEZER.
SPREAD EVENLY
ACROSS THE CONVEYOR,
THEY FREEZE INDIVIDUALLY
RATHER THAN IN BIG, ICY
CLUMPS.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO THAW A
WHOLE BUNCH TO GET A FEW
SHRIMP.
THE FROZEN SHRIMP
FALLS INTO WEIGH STATIONS.
AT THE CORRECT AMOUNT,
THE BOTTOM OPENS
TO RELEASE THEM.
AN ICE GLAZE WILL PROTECT THEM
FROM FREEZER BURN.
THESE FROZEN-SHRIMP PRODUCTS
ARE READY TO LEAVE THE
FACTORY.
FROM THE FREEZER TO THE OVEN
TO YOUR TASTE BUDS.
WITH ALL THE PREP WORK
DONE AT THE FACTORY,
THESE FROZEN-SHRIMP PRODUCTS
ARE QUITE A TREAT.
