do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

topic posted Mon, January 21, 2008 - 3:25 PM by  Chili

I do, on fried or crunchy well-cooked ones, always have... and people always look at me like I'm nuts!
I'm not fond of the ama ebi (raw prawn) at sushi restaurants, but I love how they give you the whole fried head afterwards *crunch crunch*

hmmm maybe my diet seriously lacks in... chitin?!?

the only nutritional info I could find on the shells vs. flesh were
"The protein, ash, fibre and individual mineral ion contents of three species of prawn taken from the Lagos lagoon were determined. The median liveweights of Macrobrachium vollenhovenii (Herklots), Palaemon species A (Powell) and Penaeus notialis were respectively, 25.52 g (shell + head 16.76 g; flesh 9.26 g), 3.15 g (shell + head 1.71 g; flesh 1.44 g) and 5.11 g (shell + head 2.14 g; flesh 2.96 g). All (shell + head) samples had high protein, ash and fibre contents but only the protein content was high in the flesh, which had low or undetectable quantities of fibre. The fat and carbohydrates contents were generally low. In M vollenhovenii the (shell + head) was a better source of Mg, Zn, Cu and K than the flesh, which was a better source of Ca, Ni, P, Fe, Co and Na. In P species A the (shell + head) was a better source of Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Co, Na and K than the flesh (higher in Zn and Ni). In P notialis the (shell + head) was the better source of Ca, Zn, P, Fe and Co and the flesh the better source of Mg, Ni, Fe, Na and K. "


and dayam do you know how to tell the difference between shrimp & prawn??
it's all about the second abdominal segment, baby!

museumvictoria.com.au/crust/c...iol.html

posted by:
Chili
  • Re: do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

    Mon, January 21, 2008 - 9:51 PM
    Okay, if no one else says it, I'm impressed. You REALLY did your homework, Chili. I can't eat the shells. Can't digest something that dense but my wife does the same thing you do. Maybe she's saving up to make egg shells, or something? Shh, don't tell her I said that. She's got a great sense of humor but an even better right hook.

    Love and light, dear ones.
    Rev
    • Re: do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

      Tue, January 22, 2008 - 3:39 PM
      I used to, when I was a kid. Mostly because noone told me I wasn't supposed to.

      I also regularly ate the entire artichoke petal, thorn and all, for the sole purpose of creeping out my older brother. Amazingly, I never injured myself doing it!
  • Re: do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

    Wed, January 23, 2008 - 4:47 AM
    i eat the shells if they are crunchy enough, not if they are leathery however. always did.

    More flavour, that is why they leave the tip of the tail on them in the first place.....because the shell has more flavour than the meat.
    • Re: do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

      Thu, January 24, 2008 - 5:12 PM
      I don't eat 'em. I save them to make stock! If you can get them heads-on the shells and heads make killer stock (water, onion, lemon halves, celery, peppercorns). Even if you can't get the heads the shells from regular old peel them yourself shrimp work well. I freeze small batches of the shells in old yogurt containers filled to the top with water until I have enough batches to thaw out and simmer stock.
  • Re: do you eat the tail shells on shrimp/prawns ~?

    Mon, January 28, 2008 - 5:21 AM
    I do, if they're fried especially. They taste good, and seem to do no harm, and i can't bear to not get that last little bit of meat encased in that little end of shell there.
    If you can get local spot prawns, you'll find that the shells tend to be a little sturdier than the farmed varieties, and a little more challenging to eat like that, but the flavor is amazing- almost more lobster than prawn, rich and sweet.The season is July-August, and if you're on Vancouver Island or the Lower Mainland I know you can get them straight off the boat like I can.

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