Among various species of shellfish, one group changes its flavor depending on season. For instance, the common oyster,
Ostrea lapérousei SCHRENCK, is more flavorous in winter than in its spawning months, June to September. The other, e. g., the short necked clam,
Venerupis semidecussata (REEVE), shows little change throughout the year. Chemical constituents affecting the flavor most were reported to be monoamino nitrogen extractives-particularly glycine.
The present work was, therefore, undertaken to confirm the general knowledge of palatability of the two groups of shellfish by comparing seasonal levels of their nitrogens extracted from materials listed in Table 1. The following are evident from the analytical results indicated in Table 2 to 5.
1) The oyster has low amounts of glycogen and extractive nitrogens with an increase of moisture in summer. In comparison with the other species of shellfish under study, extractive nitrogens of the oyster is abundant for total nitrogen; the amount of monoamino nitrogen (MAN) and the ratio of MAN to monoamino fraction nitrogen (MFN) are also fairly large. In summer, however, the MAN content and the ratio MAN/MFN fall from the levels in winter. The evidences explain the reason why the oyster muscle is less palatable in the spawning summer than in winter.
2) The short necked clam also has a large amount of extractive nitrogens. In this species, however, no remarkable variations have been observed in the quantity of either extractive nitrogens or general constituents. The shellfish is known to spawn not only in both spring and autumn but perhaps in summer as well. Such ecological characteristics would possibly minimize effects of spawning exhausion upon the muscle properties, which could in turn retain the meat flavor nearly constant all the seasons.
3) The brackish clam and the sea mussel,
Mytilus crassitesta LISCHKE, scarecely vary their chemical components from season to season. The findings have made it doubtful if they really have high time of their flavor as said to do.
4) Extractive nitrogens in the brackish clam,
Corbicula leana (PRIME), was found as low as that of a freshwater snail,
Cipangopaludina malleata (REEVE) reported previously. A possible inference from this association is that low level of extractive nitrogens is a common feature of shellfish living outside the marine environments.
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