What Is The Difference Between A Prawn and A Shrimp

Written by bmlengel on August 4th, 2009

Yes, it is a ‘Forrest Gump’ reference and it should be anticipated any time shrimp is mentioned for the subsequent 20 years. “Bubba Gump” shrimp is how Forrest made his millions in the Hollywood movie. But, the flick will always be remembered for the amazing number of way an individual can make shrimp. As Bubba would say, “There’s barbecue shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp soup, fried shrimp.the list is sort of unending. And whilst there are actually an enormous variety of ways to cook shrimp, there’s really a fair amount of confusion as to what exactly a shrimp really is. Perhaps Bubba wasn’t basically cooking shrimp?

In England and a number of other places, what would be called shrimp in the U. S. is actually referred to as as prawn. If you were to look at a prawn and a shrimp side by side, it would be extremely unlikely to distinguish which was which. Technically speaking, however, a prawn truly is not a shrimp.

To the naked eye, the 2 may appear matching but they are biologically different. On the stomach of a shrimp or prawn are flaps. Without going into too much detail and causing everyone to go running for a Biology book, let’s just say that the there’s a very subtle difference difference between the first abdomen flap on a shrimp and a prawn. But essentially, these are the same creature.

As far as the USA citizens are concerned, a shrimp is any crustacean that is part of the Natantia family of crustaceans. It’s not relevant how massive the shrimp is or where it is found-so long as it’s a Nantantia crustacean-it’s a shrimp! However, there’s a rather peculiar phenomenon among Yank shrimp that does have to do with size.

Were Bubba to have grown up on the West Coast of the US, he most certainly would not have seen much potential in the shrimp-for eating, let alone making any money! This is because the classic size of a shrimp found of the West Coast is about in. in length. For some reason, the Pacific Ocean just is not a great place for jumbo shrimp to grow. But somewhere else, it is nothing for shrimp to be twelve inches in length or more.

Shrimp, like any species, comes in a wide assortment of variety. There are rock, brine, royal red, white, brown, and even pink shrimp to choose from. Each offers a unique flavor and consistency but all are absolutely delicious when prepared properly. And, Bubba was correct-you can make shrimp just about any way your imagination will let you! So whether you want to call it prawn or just plain old shrimp-the truth is that it tastes great no matter how you make it!.

To get more recipes and cooking ideas, visit cooking101.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at how to make coconut shrimp.