Shrimp

Shrimp

There are many different species of shrimp. In the US and Britain, large shrimp are called prawns; in India, all shrimp are prawns.

            Brown, white and pink shrimp are a triad of warm water marine animals known collectively as “Gulf shrimp.†Commercially important to both the United States and Mexico, Gulf shrimp are found along the southeastern US coast, as far north as Maryland, and along the entire western Gulf. All Gulf shrimp are harvested from the wild with trawl nets. Pink shrimp are the largest Gulf species, reaching 11 inches. They are usually sold with their heads still on, giving the impression of a lot of shrimp, since two thirds of the body length is the head. Gulf whites are concentrated south of the Carolinas; however the bulk of the harvest comes form the Gulf of Mexico. White shrimp grow to 8 inches. Variations in shell color can cause white shrimp to be confused with brown shrimp from the same area. Brown shrimp are concentrated off the Texas-Louisiana coast. Males reach 7 inches, while females grow to 9 inches. Do not pay white shrimp prices for brown shrimp. Brown shrimp have a groove in the last tail segment that is not present in Gulf whites. That is what processors check to tell what species they have.

            Gulf shrimp are generally flavorful and sweet, with slight variations in taste according to the species. Pinks are tender and sweet. Browns are firm, though somewhat bland, and sometimes have a hint of iodine. Whites, the standard against which other shrimp species are often measured, are sweet and firm. It can be hard to tell the Gulf species apart. Part of the confusion stems from naming them by colors: white, pink and brown, since a pink can look like a white, a brown can be gray, etc. Cooked shells of all species are pinkish-red. Raw meats are translucent pink to gray. Cooked meats are pearly white with pink and red shadings.

            Because shrimp are so small, they are sold by a count (number) per pound rather than by individual weight. This is expressed as a range. For example, a 16/20 count means shrimp of such a size that it would take from 16 to 20 of them to make up a pound. The smaller the count, the larger the shrimp.

            As a rule, shrimp lose one size count when peeled, another when cooked. There are about 5 more large shrimp per pound in the shell than unshelled shrimp. Thus, if the count in the shell were 21 per pound, the count would be 26 per pound of shelled shrimp. Cooking loss in the shell to cooked peeled and deveined is about 50%.

            Primary product forms for frozen shrimp are: green headless; peeled; PUD; Tail on; round; P&D; cleaned; shell on cooked; split, butterfly or fantail; and pieces.