Michelin Star

Sorry did i write the wrong title for this post? Isn’t it supposed to be Shrimp related, why is this talking about the Michelin Star?

This analogy was shared to me after a discussion with a breeder in Singapore such as what are mass market shrimp food made up of, what goes into that mix and such, how are shrimp bred and sold, i decided to pen down our thoughts on this.

This short post is for light reading.

A person walks into a Michelin star restaurant after trying to book in advance for a year, he was ushered into the restaurant with finest. The dinner started and he was very please he tasted excellent Wagyu (Japanese beef) and then decided to ask  the Chef.

“What make this steak so tasty?”, the Chef just smile and commented about the special breed of cow that underwent a specific feeding/caring routine but more importantly they are also a selected line of livestock that have been deem the highest sought after grade.

The person then follow up with a few other question “where did this Wagyu come from, how did you manage to cook this, what are your secret?”

The Chef replied politely that this came from a prefecture in Japan and we use the finest of ingredients to serve you well. The chef continue entertaining the guest as dinner was cooked and serve in front of them. Everyone commented that it was one of the best dinner they ever had.

Why did i relate this story?

Globally we have many breeders just like we have many restaurant but each of these breeders have their own trade secrets that they will only share to a certain extend – just like the Chef. Even if the chef shares everything with you and you open up a restaurant doesn’t mean you will be awarded the Michelin star but you do probably get to learn over many years how to breed good shrimp. 

It is however important that as a breeder the most critical part of the processes adds up starting with keeping the water parameters suitable. having good stock shrimp and then the selection process – do you have sufficient tanks to do so; are you keeping a log about it; are you following a strict culling process; every little bit counts. 

Consistency. 

Behind every successful breeder story appears one commonality and that is consistency. If you want to be successful in your breeding journey, and equipped with the knowledge of shrimp breeding you need to have consistency in your process and source. The journey to breeding good shrimps, such as culling (which i will touch on in another long post) is difficult for many hobbyist but that doesn’t mean the shrimp has to go, it all means it will be kept in another tank. The stricter you cull the better. If you apply consistency across your husbandry, breeding methods and source, you will be on the road to success.

While we chase for the stars, look among hobbyist who have high grade shrimp and then if willing – share the information with you. This shouldn’t be taken for granted, and in all my information sharing – there are already processes that will certainly help you to be a better breeder and when you earn your stars, remember to invite me for dinner some day.