Shrimp is a healthy product rich in micro and macro elements. The most delicate meat is delicious in itself, but it can be added to salads, pizza and hundreds of other dishes. Even in a provincial supermarket, there are always several types and brands of shrimp available. How not to make the wrong choice?
General recommendations
Whichever type of shrimp you prefer, always read the label on the package. Beware of products of unknown companies, whose addresses and phone numbers are not indicated on the packaging.
Pay attention to the size of the shrimp. For regular shrimp, 90/120 is not an indication of millimeters or inches at all. This marking means that there are from 90 to 120 shrimps in 1 kilogram of the product. Quite often in stores they put a different "size" in order to sell the product at a higher price.
If you buy shrimp without a head, be prepared that their quantity is indicated not for 1 kilogram, but for 1 pound (450 grams)
According to the legislation in force in Russia, the thickness of ice on shrimps should not be more than 4%, but some manufacturers do not adhere to this requirement. The situation is even worse in convenience stores, where sellers increase the ice crust and repackage shrimp in order to increase the price and weight of the product. If snow lumps are visible in the bag, it means that during transportation and storage the product was thawed and frozen again. This may have happened more than once.
Good quality shrimps have an even pink color, the tail is always bent. Dryish shell, yellow meat, black spots on the shell or legs are signs of old shrimp. If the tail is unfolded, it means that the individual died even before it was frozen. If the shrimp has a black head, it should be discarded immediately, as this color is a sign of illness. The green-headed shrimp is quite edible. Just shortly before the catch, she ate a special kind of plankton. The brown color of the head indicates the pregnancy of the shrimp. Their meat is extremely healthy.
What shrimp do they bring to the shops?
Fishermen from Russia are engaged in industrial shrimp fishing, but their catch is exported mainly to the United States, Japan, and South Korea. In Russia and Ukraine, shrimp caught by Canadian and Danish fishermen are most often sold.
The smaller the shrimp, the brighter its taste and juicier meat.
More than 2000 species of shrimp are known in the world. They can be divided into 2 large groups: cold water and warm water. The first ones are more familiar to residents of most regions of the country, since you can buy them in any store. The latter have a very peculiar taste. Cold water shrimp are caught in their natural habitat, while warm water shrimp are usually raised on special farms. The latter category accounts for about 80% of the global volume of these products.
There are no king prawns. All large warm-water shrimps are called "royal". The exception is tiger prawns, which got their name because of the corresponding color of the shell. Large "king" shrimps are brought mainly from India and China. Conscientious manufacturers always indicate on the packaging that there is an aquaculture product inside (that is, artificially grown on a farm). Common tiger shrimps are brought to Russia from Thailand and Indonesia, black tiger shrimps - from India and China.
Farmed shrimp are generally completely safe. Some customers just don't like the taste of farmed meat. However, not a single manufacturer (and most often these are resellers and packers) can guarantee that antibiotics, stimulants and dyes were not used when growing shrimp on the farm.
Particular attention should be paid to the wanamei shrimp artificially bred by the enterprising Chinese. They are large and have a very bright orange shell. Such shrimps are often added to seafood cocktails, served in restaurants and sushi bars. Perhaps your body will react well to such seafood, but think about the fact that the people of China do not eat wanamei themselves.
