What are the common marine shrimp species in China? Differences from river shrimp and delicious recipes

Marine shrimp, also called red shrimp, crimson shrimp, large green shrimp, etc., is the general term for the meat or whole body of aquatic and marine shrimp. Marine shrimp is rich in nutrients and delicious in taste, and can be used as both food and medicine.So what are the common marine shrimp species in China? What are the differences from river shrimp? How do you cook them deliciously?

What are the common marine shrimp species in China?

1. Greasyback shrimp

Greasyback shrimp are shrimp produced in gei wai areas. Because they like to swim with the sea tide to the slow-flowing areas under the gei wai to spawn, they are called greasyback shrimp. Greasyback shrimp belong to shallow-sea marine shrimp, and in China they are native to Fujian, Guangdong coastal areas and other places. They grow on the muddy bottom of river channels, and their bodies are slightly dark black in color, with a relatively hard shell and obvious red stripes. They are relatively small in size and have a crisp, sweet taste, with no spine (rostral spine) on the forehead. Greasyback shrimp can survive at a water temperature of about 10°C.

In recent years, greasyback shrimp are usually bred in freshwater and farmed in seawater enclosures, and their name comes from enclosure farming. Greasyback shrimp look like prawns, but their shells are not as soft as those of prawns, they are not as large as prawns, and they have plump bodies and thin shells. Greasyback shrimp are suitable for blanching, and the meat is delicious and refreshing.

Bamboo shrimp, also known as flower shrimp, bamboo shrimp, flower shrimp, tiger prawn, Japanese tiger prawn, are of the same type as tiger shrimp. Their characteristics are small serrations above the head, a long forward-projecting spine, and spine-like projections between the two eyes; the shrimp body has blue horizontal banded patterns.

The appendages of bamboo shrimp are yellow, and the tail is bright yellow with blue. Bamboo shrimp have thin but hard shells and thick flesh. They are an important farmed species, and after about 6 months of farming they can reach a body weight of more than 20 grams. At present, bamboo shrimp are artificially farmed in Fujian and Guangdong coastal areas of China. From Hokkaido, Japan to the southern Yellow Sea, they are distributed in Zhejiang, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Guangdong, the Philippines, Singapore, northern Australia, India, eastern Africa, and the Red Sea.

The meat content of Japanese tiger prawn is 39.21%, and the protein and fat contents are 17.74% and 2.08% respectively. The total amount of 18 amino acids (TAA) in muscle (dry sample) is 70.68%. Japanese tiger prawn has a relatively high content of unsaturated fatty acids, accounting for 64.04% of total fatty acids, among which eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are 1.70% and 10.92% respectively. The contents of polyunsaturated fatty acids, EPA, and DHA are higher than those of several other economic shrimp species and freshwater fish. It is rich in iron and zinc, and the contents of harmful elements such as cadmium, chromium, and nickel are low. This indicates that Japanese tiger prawn has high edible value and health benefits.

2. Chinese white shrimp

Chinese white shrimp, also known as “large bright shrimp”, is one of the eight marine treasures and an important aquatic product along the coast of China. Chinese white shrimp is a marine shrimp. The more yellowish prawns are male, and the more bluish prawns are female. In the past, because they were often sold in pairs, they were called prawns, also known as oriental prawns. Wild-caught, non-farmed Chinese white shrimp are generally 30-50 grams, and the larger the size, the rarer they are; braised prawns made with this shrimp are a classic famous dish, with thin shells and fragrant, crispy, soft shrimp meat.

For cooking prawns, there are roughly steaming, boiling, and deep-frying. They can be used to make various exquisite dim sum of different varieties, and can also be used to prepare all kinds of famous dishes and fresh delicacies. Chinese white shrimp is a precious species unique to China. According to tests, every 100 grams of oriental prawns contain 20.6 grams of protein and also contain a variety of vitamins and trace elements necessary for the human body. It is a high-protein, low-fat nutritional delicacy with special effects such as tonifying the kidney and promoting yang, and is a rare treasure of the sea.

3. Chinese mysid shrimp

Chinese mysid shrimp, also known as small white shrimp, plum shrimp, dried small shrimp, seedling shrimp, etc., is a species unique to China. It is distributed along the coast of China, especially with the largest output along the Bohai coast. The main producing areas include the coasts of Liaoning, Shandong, Hebei, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian. It has high nutritional value and a unique flavor. The body length of mysid shrimp is only 2.5-5.4 cm, the body is laterally compressed, and both the dried small shrimp and the shell are very thin. Except for very few red dots, the whole body is completely transparent. Mysid shrimp like to inhabit shallow river mouth areas with fertile water quality. Mysid shrimp are a small shrimp species with rapid growth, a short life cycle, strong reproductive capacity, fast generational turnover, and weak swimming ability. In ecological habits, they belong to the zooplankton group and move with the tide along coastal, river mouth, and island areas. Mysid shrimp have high nutritional value and a unique flavor. Because they are small, thin-shelled, and tender-meated, they are suitable for processing into dried small shrimp or shrimp paste, and are the main processing raw material for dried small shrimp and shrimp paste. The dried small shrimp on the market are processed from mysid shrimp. The nutritional value of dried small shrimp is very high, and among aquatic products they are a relatively low-priced popular seafood product. According to tests, every 100 grams of dried small shrimp contain 39.3 grams of protein, and are also rich in inorganic elements such as potassium, magnesium, and selenium, as well as vitamin B5 and vitamin E. The contents of calcium and phosphorus in dried small shrimp are the most notable among aquatic products. Appropriate consumption of dried small shrimp by children is greatly beneficial to their growth and development. There are many and simple household ways to eat them.

What are the differences between marine shrimp and river shrimp?

Although river shrimp and marine shrimp are both shrimp, their shapes are quite different. River shrimp have few varieties, and are generally large-headed, short-bodied, with long chelipeds and a broad, flat tail. Marine shrimp have many varieties, large and small, but are generally long-bodied, short-legged, with a triangular tail and no chelipeds. There is one kind of marine shrimp that is very similar to river shrimp, but individuals are not as large as river shrimp. The heads of farmed shrimp are a bit larger than those of wild shrimp, and the inside is relatively black, which is obvious after cooking, and they taste a bit bitter, while wild shrimp taste fresh and sweet.

How do you cook marine shrimp deliciously?

Recipe for spicy shrimp

Ingredients: appropriate amounts each of ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried red chilies, and any amount of shrimp

1. First trim off the whiskers and legs of the shrimp, remove the intestinal tract from the back, wash them in water, sprinkle with salt and Sichuan peppercorn powder, and marinate for twenty minutes. Cut the ginger into shreds, mince the garlic, and you can use more garlic.

2. Put oil in the wok, add a little more oil, and heat until 60% hot, that is, when smoke rises from the surface of the oil. Add the ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and dried chilies all at once and stir-fry. Once the aroma comes out, add the shrimp and stir-fry.

3. As for how much to stir-fry the shrimp, it depends entirely on you. Once you judge the heat is right, you can take it out of the wok.