True shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Together with prawns, they are widely caught and farmed for human consumption.

Taxonomy

Aeger, a fossil shrimp

Shrimp are distinguished from the superficially similar prawns by the structure of the gills, There is, however, much confusion between the two, especially among non-specialists, and many shrimp are called "prawns" and many prawns are called "shrimp". This is particularly widespread in culinary contexts.

The easiest way to separate peneaid from caridean is by the second somite. Caridean's second somite goes over the first and the third, while peneaid's second somite goes only over the third.

Shrimp as food

A steamed tail-on shrimp

Grilled shrimp at restaurant

As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol, from 122 mg to 251 mg per 100 g of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation.^[2]

Wet shrimp is commonly used as a flavoring and as a soup base in Asian cuisines while fried shrimp is popular in North America. In Europe, shrimp is very popular, forming a necessary ingredient in Spanish paella de marisco, French bouillabaisse, Italian cacciucco, Portuguese caldeirada and many other seafood dishes. Shrimp curry is very popular in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Shrimp are also found in Latin and Caribbean dishes such as enchiladas and coconut shrimp.

Shrimp and other shellfish are among the most common food allergens.^[3]

Distinction from prawns

While in biological terms prawns are of a distinct biological suborder of Decapoda, in commercial farming and fishery the terms shrimp and prawn are often used interchangeably. In European countries, particularly the United Kingdom, the word ?prawns? is more commonly on menus than the term ?shrimp?, which is used more often in North America. The term ?prawn? is also loosely used to describe any large shrimp, especially those that come 15 (or fewer) to the pound (also called ?jumbo shrimp?). Australia and other Commonwealth countries follow this European/British use to an even greater extent, using the word ?prawn? almost exclusively. Paul Hogan?s use of the phrase ?I'll slip an extra shrimp on the barbie for you? in a television advertisement was intended to make what he was saying easier for his American audience to understand, and was thus a deliberate distortion of what an Australian would typically say.

Preparation

Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the head, shell, tail, and "sand vein".

To deshell a shrimp, the tail is held while gently removing the shell around the body. The tail can be detached completely at this point, or left attached for presentation purposes.

Removing the "vein" (a euphemism for the digestive tract) can be referred to as "deveining", though in fact shrimp do not have any real veins; they have an open circulatory system. The "vein" can be removed by making a shallow cut lengthwise down the outer curve of the shrimp's body, allowing the dark ribbon-like digestive tract to be removed with a pointed utensil. Alternatively, if the tail has been detached, the vein can be pinched at the tail end and pulled out completely with the fingers.

The shrimp is then rinsed under cold running water.

Shrimp in aquaria

Pandalus borealis

See also

• Crangon crangon -- the common brown shrimp or prawn (B.E.) much consumed in Europe
• Shrimp farming
• Shrimp fishery
• Krill
• Dried shrimp
• Snapping shrimp
• Shrimp on the barbie, an often-quoted phrase that originated in a series of television commercials by the Australian Tourism Commission starring Paul Hogan from 1986
• The Shrimp Girl by William Hogarth

References

External links

• How to Clean Shrimp

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