shrimp

Posted by christina jacobson on August 18, 2005

Q: how come shrimp turn pink when you cook them?

A: Good question that I had to do some research on to find an answer!

Shrimp, lobsters and crabs all have a pigment in their shells called "astaxanthin" that is usually hidden by other proteins. But once this covering protein is placed into boiling water, its molecular structure unravels and allows the underlying astaxanthin (a kind of caroten that is pinkish-orange) to show through and you see the color we associate with cooked shrimp.

Thanks for asking.

John Wiessinger ( August 19, 2005)