Block Shrimp Thaw: Why the Pad Under a 5 kg Block Stays Dry for Six Hours

A coldstore in Cebu runs 5 kg blocks of black tiger shrimp through a 0 to 2 °C thaw room on a thirty-six hour cycle. The supervisor there keeps a photograph on his phone: a tray at hour one, pad bone dry, block frosted white. A tray at hour fourteen, pad dark and heavy, tray holding fifteen mill…