Shrimp are amazing.
They come in several sizes and they taste delicious.
Yet there are many things you probably do not know about shrimp.
These delectable little crustaceans have plenty of secrets that you are about to learn.
For example, did you know that raw shrimp are known as "green" shrimp? Shrimp have ten legs.
Since most of us do not see shrimp before they are shelled, we do not see the legs.
What we call the head of the shrimp is actually the head and the thorax.
It takes up half the body size of the shrimp.
They are cousins to other crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters.
They also are not far from insects on the old family tree, which is the reason some chefs call them "bugs.
" A billion pounds of shrimp is consumed in the United States every year.
Did you know Las Vegas, Nevada holds the record for the amount of shrimp consumed in this country? It does...
60,000 pounds of shrimp per day.
This is more than the rest of the country combined.
That is one big pile of shrimp! About 90% of the shrimp eaten here comes from Asia and Central America, with 40% of that being farmed shrimp.
Out of those billion pounds of shrimp, 80% is eaten in restaurants.
It appears that Americans like to eat shrimp; they just do not like to cook it.
Cooking shrimp really is not difficult...
it just takes a few times to get it just right.
As Forrest Gump would say, "Shrimp is the fruit of the sea.
" He then goes on to list 21 different ways to prepare it, including three different methods of frying.
Shrimp really is versatile and can be used in soups, stews, as well as for appetizers, main dishes, and snacks.
These tasty gems can be added to almost anything.
Saute them, fry them or broil them...
they all taste wonderful.
The terms "prawn" and "shrimp" are often used interchangeably, when in fact they are two separate creatures.
This is confusing even for the experts.
For example, the California spot prawn is really a shrimp while the ridgeback shrimp is really a prawn.
Fish markets often label every large shrimp as a prawn, but there are physical differences between the two.
Shrimp have side flaps that overlap while prawns have two segments on their tail that are the same size.
Shrimp are a great choice for easy appetizers.
They are available in a wide variety of sizes so you can choose some that fit your recipes and your budget.
Shrimp are sold by count.
This will tell you what size the shrimp are, such as colossal, jumbo, large, medium, or small.
Jumbo shrimp, for example, would be labeled 21/25 on the wrapper.
This means you will find 21 to 25 shrimp per pound.
Serve them up to show off their pearly pink shrimpness or add them to other recipes.
Your shrimp are going to have different textures and flavors depending on where they lived and what they ate.
Wild shrimp are known for their intense flavors caused by a wide variety of food.
Farmed shrimp are fed a ration, giving them a blander flavor.
Wild shrimp are also firmer than farmed shrimp since they must roam to find food.