Observed annually on May 10, it is National Shrimp Day. Americans eat more shrimp than any other seafood, and this is the day to celebrate this delicious seafood.
- 600 AD -Archaeological remains of the jaws of shrimp are identified from this era.
- 1280 – On his exploration to the Far East, Marco Polo notes the prevalence of seafood in the markets and people’s diets.
- 14th Century – This beloved buttery shrimp dish is developed in the city of Genoa, Italy.
- 1740 – This famous painting by William Hogarth depicts a girl carrying shrimp and mussels to market on her head in London.
- 20th Century – Following in the footsteps of its cousin, oyster cocktail, shrimp cocktail becomes extremely popular in the mid-20th century
- 1980s – Shrimp farming becomes popular, particularly in China.
- 1991 – Raised areas near the coast in Mexico are used for drying shrimp in the sun.
- 1996 – Named after the character in Forrest Gump, this shrimp restaurant starts in California.
- 2007 – The shrimp harvest exceeds the number of wild shrimp captured.
- The word “prawn” is used loosely to describe any large shrimp, sometimes known as “jumbo shrimp.” Some countries use the word “prawn” exclusively for all shrimp.
- Preparing the shrimp for consumption usually involves the removal of the head, shell, tail and “sand vein”.
- There are many ways to cook shrimp. Standard methods of preparation include baking, boiling, broiling, sauteed, frying and grilling. Cooking time is delicate for shrimp, and they are at their best when not overcooked.
- A healthy food, shrimp is low in calories and high in levels of omega-3, calcium, iodine, and protein. Shrimp is also known to be considered good for the circulatory system.
- Shrimp and other shellfish are among the most common food allergens.
- Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water.
- The average American consumes 4.0 lbs. of shrimp annually. Comparatively, this is out of 15.5 pounds of seafood people in the United States eat each year. Shrimp consumption is followed by salmon (2.3 pounds) and canned tuna (2.3 pounds).
- One billion pounds of shrimp are eaten every year by Americans.
- Over five billion pounds of shrimp are produced every single year.
- An average size shrimp is about 6 inches while the longest ever found was at 16 inches.
- Some shrimp can live as long as six and a half years, while some only live about a year or so.
- There are 16 different stages of life found in shrimp from egg to full adult.
- There are over 128 species of shrimp.
- Every shrimp is born a male and then becomes female as they mature.
- The average shrimp has 10 legs.
- The name for raw, uncooked shrimp is “green”.
- Shrimp that has been broiled or sautéed, usually in butter and garlic is called “scampi”.
- Shrimp is amazing at “swimming” through the water, though they are typically moving backwards.
- The pistol shrimp can deliver an explosive attack hotter than the surface of the sun and loud enough to rupture a human eardrum.
- There are over 2,000 different shrimp species spread out all over the world and in every known marine niche, from the tropics to the Antarctic Ocean. The most common species found in our region are the Gulf Brown Shrimp, Gulf Pink Shrimp, and Gulf White Shrimp.
- The ocean may look peaceful, but it can get pretty noisy below the surface when there are snapping shrimp around. Certain shrimp species are able to make a snapping sound that is louder than any other marine noise by hitting their large and small pincers together. It’s believed they do this to communicate with other shrimp or temporarily stun their prey.
- if the small crustacean is a part of your diet, it may reduce your risk of developing cancer. That’s because shrimp contain selenium, an antioxidant mineral that activates enzymes to fight the growth of cancer-causing free radicals.
- Large shrimp are often called prawns.
- While they look very much alike, shrimp are more closely related to crabs and lobsters than they are to prawns. Prawns differ in that they have three pairs of pincers rather than a shrimp’s two, they don’t have a pronounced abdomen bend, and they don’t “brood” their eggs—females release them right into the water.
- The Gulf states (Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and West Florida) produce 244 million pounds of shrimp per year. Shrimp production is extremely important to local economies in the Gulf South region – providing thousands of jobs and it is a large source of revenue.
- The average American consumes 4.0 lbs. of shrimp annually. Comparatively, this is out of 15.5 pounds of seafood people in the United States eat each year. Shrimp consumption is followed by salmon (2.3 pounds) and canned tuna (2.3 pounds).
- The Pistol Shrimp also goes by two more names – Snapping Shrimp or Alpheid Shrimp
- When it comes to the title of loudest sea/ocean creature, this minuscule creature enters in competition with the beluga whale and sperm whale.
- While hunting, Pistol Shrimp opens the hammer part and then releases it, allowing it to snap into the other part. This release is extraordinarily fast and results in an enormously powerful low-pressure cavitation bubble. The bubble that is created serves the purpose of stunning prey. How does that work? The bubble shoots out at a speed of 62 miles an hour, reaching a temperature of 4700 degrees Celsius for a very brief period of time. This temperature is actually close to the temperature of the Sun.
Popular North America Shrimp Dishes:
- Seafood Gumbo: A stew or soup that probably originated in southern Louisiana during the 18th century. Seafood gumbo typically consists of a strongly-flavored stock, shrimp and crab meat (sometimes oysters), a thickener, and seasoning vegetables. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: okra, the Choctaw spice, file powder (dried and ground sassafras leaves), or roux, the French base made of flour and fat.
- Shrimp Cocktail: The Golden Gate was the first to serve this .50-cent shrimp cocktail in 1959. It is now a Las Vegas cliché. Called the “Original Shrimp Cocktail” on the menu, it is a favorite among tourists as well as the locals. The original Shrimp Cocktail consists of a regular-sized sundae glass filled with small salad shrimp and topped with a dollop of cocktail sauce.
- Shrimp DeJonghe: A specialty of Chicago, it is a casserole of whole, peeled shrimp blanketed in soft, garlic, sherry-laced bread crumbs. It is served as an appetizer or a main course. It originated in the late 19th or early 20th century at the DeJonghe’s Hotel and Restaurant.
- Shrimp Scampi: This dish has its own day on April 29 and is cooked in butter, garlic, lemon juice and white wine.
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