Market Name: Shrimp, pink shrimp
Scientific Name: Pandalus spp.
Common Name: Northern shrimp, pink shrimp, coldwater shrimp, salad shrimp
Flavor: Mild/Moderate
Texture: Medium/Firm
Description:
Found in most northern waters, pink shrimp rank among the most important
commercial shrimp species in the world. In the North Atlantic, they
range from Greenland south to Martha’s Vineyard in the west, and from
Iceland and Greenland south to Britain in the east. In the northeastern
Pacific, they range from the Bering Sea south along the North American
coast to Oregon. In the western Pacific they are found from Russia south to
Japan and South Korea. P. jordani, a close relative of P. borealis, is found
exclusively along the Pacific Coast from Queen Charlotte Sound in Alaska
to San Diego. Trawlers harvest pink shrimp over clay and mud bottoms in
depths ranging to 4,500 feet. Rarely exceeding 5 inches, pinks are smaller
than many shrimp species (average market size for whole pink shrimp is 40
to 55 shrimp per pound). They are also hermaphrodites, spending their first
year and a half as males, then turning into females.
Product Profile:
Pink shrimp have a very sweet taste, more flavorful than warmwater shrimp. The tail of the live pink shrimp is more red than pink, and the shrimp and shell are translucent. Cooked, the shell is pink, and the meat is an opaque white tinged with pink. The cooked meat is fairly firm, though less so than that of warmwater shrimp, and moist. The taste and texture of both pink shrimp species are practically indistin guish able.
Pink shrimp is usually sold peeled, cooked and frozen. Watch for an acrid aroma in thawed or fresh shrimp; it is the first sign of deterioration.
You Should Know:
Because raw shrimp is relatively perishable, it’s wise to purchase IQF product. You can remove any amount of the frozen shrimp from a bag and return it to the freezer without harm.
Cooking Tips:
Pink shrimp are often referred to as salad shrimp because they are small, which can limit applications. They are best used in salads, casseroles, quiches and omelets and as a garnish for other seafood. Raw shrimp meats can be sautéed with garlic or battered and quickly fried. Whole shrimp can be cooked in or over boiling water. They’re done when the tails curl and the body is no longer translucent; it takes only moments, so watch closely.
Cooking Methods: Boil,Fry,Saute',Steam
Substitutions: Crab meat can be substituted for recipes calling for cooked shrimp meat; Chinese white shrimp, Gulf pink shrimp
Primary Product Forms:
Fresh: Whole (raw or cooked), Tails
Frozen: Whole (raw or cooked) Tails (peeled, cooked)
Value-Added: Canned Smoked
Global Supply:
