Shrimp
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Alpheoidea |
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.
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[edit] Taxonomy
A number of more or less unrelated crustaceans also have the word "shrimp" in their common name. Examples are the mantis shrimp and the opposum or mysid shrimp, both of which belong to the same class (Malacostraca) as the true shrimp, but constitute two different orders within it, the Stomatopoda and the Mysidacea. Triops longicaudatus and Triops cancriformis are also popular animals in freshwater aquaria, and are often called shrimp, although they belong instead to the Notostraca, a quite unrelated group.
Shrimp are distinguished from the superficially similar prawns by the structure of the gills, and by the fact that female shrimp (as in all other pleocyemates) brood the eggs on their pleopods. 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. In Southeast Asia, the difference between shrimp and prawns is based on size, with larger shrimp being called prawns [1].
[edit] Shrimp as food
A number of the larger species, including the prawn Penaeus setiferus, are caught commercially and used for food. Recipes using shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures: examples include jambalaya, okonomiyaki, poon choi, bagoong, Kerala and scampi.
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 7 mg to 251 mg per 100 g of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation [2].
Dried 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, Greek saganaki, Italian cacciucco, Portuguese caldeirada and many other seafood dishes.
[edit] Preparation
Preparing shrimp for consumption usually involves removing the 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.
[edit] Bandages
Bandages made of chitosan from the shells of shrimp are marketed by HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. [3]; they have been shown to reduce blood loss in comparison to gauze dressings and increase survival [4]. They have been sold to the United States Army, who have already used the bandages on the battlefields of Iraq [5].
[edit] Shrimp in aquaria
Several types of shrimp are kept in home aquaria. Some are purely ornamental, while others are useful in controlling algae and removing debris.[6] Freshwater shrimp commonly available for aquaria include the Japanese marsh shrimp (Caridina japonica, also called "Amano shrimp," as their use in aquaria was pioneered by Takashi Amano), and ghost or glass shrimp (Palaemonetes sp.). Popular saltwater shrimp include the cleaner shrimp Lysmata amboinensis, the fire shrimp (Lysmata debelius) and the Harlequin shrimp (Hymenocera picta).
[edit] See also
- Shrimp farming
- Shrimp fishery
- Prawn
- Krill
- 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
[edit] References
- ^ Charmaine Solomon (1998). Encyclopedia of Asian Food. New Holland Publishers (Australia) Pty Ltd.. Retrieved on 2006-09-16.
- ^ Cholesterol Content in Seafoods. Retrieved on January 7, 2007.
- ^ HemCon Medical Technologies Inc. (2004).
- ^ Pusateri, A. E., S. J. McCarthy, K. W. Gregory, R. A. Harris, L. Cardenas, A. T. McManus & C. W. Goodwin Jr. (2003). Effect of a chitosan-based hemostatic dressing on blood loss and survival in a model of severe venous hemorrhage and hepatic injury in swine. Journal of Trauma 4 (1): 177-182.
- ^ Karen Lurie. War Bandages.
- ^ Anderson, Joe. Freshwater Shrimp in the Aquarium. Retrieved on 2006-07-19.
