Difference Between Prawns and Shrimps

Yes, it's a 'Forrest Gump' reference and it should be expected any time shrimp is mentioned for the subsequent 20 years. "Bubba Gump" shrimp is how Forrest made his millions in the Hollywood picture. But, the movie will always be remembered for the wonderful variety of way an individual can make shrimp. As Bubba would say, "There's barbecue shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp soup, fried shrimp.the list is almost endless. And while there are certainly a giant number of ways to cook shrimp, there is actually a fair quantity of confusion as to what precisely a shrimp actually is. Maybe Bubba wasn't actually cooking shrimp?

In England and a number of other places, what would be called shrimp in the US is actually referred to as prawn. If you were to look at a prawn and a shrimp side by side, it'd be virtually impossible to distinguish which was which. Technically talking a prawn truly is not a shrimp.

To the bare eye, the two may appear identical but they are biologically different. On the stomach of a shrimp or prawn are flaps. Without going into too much detail and causing everybody to go running for a Biology book, let's just say that the there is a very subtle difference between the 1st stomach flap on a shrimp and a prawn. But essentially, these are the same creature.

As far as the Yankees are concerned, a shrimp is any crustacean that is a component of the Natantia family of crustaceans. It is irrelevant how massive the shrimp is or where it is found-so long as it's a Nantantia crustacean-it's a shrimp! However, there is a rather peculiar phenomenon among American shrimp that does have to do with size.

Were Bubba to have grown up on the West Coast of the United States, he definitely would not have seen much potential in the shrimp-for eating, let alone making any money! The reason is because the typical size of a shrimp found of the West Coast is about ½ inch in length. For some reason, the Pacific Sea just is not a great place for jumbo shrimp to grow. But somewhere else, it is nothing for shrimp to be 12 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!.

What kind of food do you like making? Visit cooking101.org to get some of the simplest recipes you can use for your next meal. Also check out recipe for grilled shrimp salad.