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The Mystery of Shrimps and Prawns: Are There Really Any Differences?
Shrimp and prawns are marine delicacies that are enjoyed by diners around the world. Although the two marine animals belong to different suborders of the order Decapoda, they are very similar in appearance and are often used interchangeably in commercial farming and wild-caught species. In recent aquaculture literature, the term "shrimp" has been used to refer to marine prawns, while "prawns" is mainly used to describe some marine shrimp.
In the United Kingdom, the term "prawns" is used more frequently on menus than "shrimp"; in North America, the opposite is true.
The names and definitions of prawns and shrimps vary from culture to culture. For example, Australia and some other Commonwealth countries prefer to use the word "shrimp" to refer to most of this type of seafood. Famous Australian comedian Paul Hogan once used the phrase "I'll give you another shrimp" in American television commercials in order to make it easier for American audiences to understand, which is actually a deliberate distortion of local Australian terms.
In the UK, very small crustaceans are called shrimps and are often used to make shrimp paste, while in France, "crevette" is the French name for shrimp in restaurants. It is worth noting that shrimp and other shellfish are common food allergens. According to Jewish dietary law, shrimp is prohibited. However, in Islamic dietary law, shrimp is allowed in some sects and prohibited in others.
Nutritional value
Compared with other seafood, shrimp has a high protein content and low food energy. Shrimp contains varying amounts of cholesterol per 100 grams, usually between 122 mg and 251 mg, depending on the preparation method. However, because shrimp contains almost no saturated fat, shrimp is also considered to be beneficial to the circulatory system, improving the ratio of LDL (low-density lipoprotein) to HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol and reducing triglyceride levels.
Research by the US Food and Drug Administration shows that the mercury content in shrimp is very low, only 0.001 ppm.
Preparation
Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves de-heading, de-shelling, de-tailing, and de-veining. A notable exception is the dish "drunken shrimp," which uses live freshwater shrimp that are often soaked in ethanol to facilitate consumption. De-shelling is usually done by holding the tail while gently removing the shell around the body. The tail may be completely detached or left on for easier presentation. Although the head and shell are usually removed before serving, these parts are edible when cooking. Removing the de-vein is called deveining, and is done by making a shallow incision on the outside of the shrimp to allow for easy removal of the black digestive tract in the intestinal tract.
It is also common to devein the shrimp. For larger shrimp, the inside is usually deveined. After cleaning, the shrimp can be rinsed under cool water. Deveining is not necessary, as it is non-toxic and has a mild flavor, and removing it will slightly change the flavor of the shrimp.
Various cooking methods
Shrimp and prawns are very flexible ingredients. Common cooking methods include baking, boiling, frying, grilling, etc. Compared with other ingredients, shrimps are extremely sensitive to cooking time. Overcooking will cause the meat to become tough and chewy. Shrimp is present in the cooking of many cultures, such as Spanish paella, Italian stews, and shrimp curries in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Shrimp is known as the "king of sushi" in Japanese sushi culture because it can be eaten raw or cooked, making it a good choice for many people who are new to raw fish.
Marketing
Shrimp marketing also requires consideration of multiple factors. The vast majority of shrimp are sold frozen and are usually classified and labeled according to appearance, grade, color and uniformity.
Shrimp dishes
Dishes using shrimp as the main ingredient are very diverse, including shrimp roe (shrimp eggs), garlic shrimp, breaded shrimp, etc. In addition, more and more food fraud incidents have attracted attention in the Asia-Pacific region recently, such as injecting non-food grade gel into shrimp to increase weight and visual appeal. This behavior not only affects food safety, but also affects consumer trust.
In 2022, Cambodia seized 7 tons of shrimp injected with carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) gel.
In order to combat food fraud, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) of the United States has launched a series of standard reference materials for testing wild-caught and aquaculture shrimp.
From the classification of shrimp and prawns, to food culture, to nutritional value and marketing, these are the exploration journeys of shrimp and prawns. In this discussion of differences and intersections, should we re-examine their importance in our daily diet?
