Interesting Shrimp Facts You May Not Have Known
Whether you're a fan of shrimp or not, these shrimp facts will give you a new appreciation for these little crustaceans. Just to clear the air--because believe it or not, some people truly don't realize this--but shrimps and "prawns" as they are referred to in some parts of the world, are essentially the same thing. The only true difference between shrimp and prawns is that a prawn's second abdominal flap rests on top of the first and third flaps. Crayfish is another term you might have heard associated with shrimp, but again, it is simply another name for members of the shrimp family! Let's move on to our collection of shrimp facts...
It is estimated that there are over 300 different species of shrimp in existence, and each one has its own flavor and texture. The flavor and texture of a shrimp mainly depends upon what type of foods the shrimp eats and what kind of water it lives in. Even the color of a shrimp can be affected by the shrimp's diet. For instance, the black and blue tiger shrimps, which have stripes of their respective colors on their shells when they are raw, are colored this way because the foods they eat do not contain any iron. And white shrimp aren't actually white--they are grey when raw but turn a nice shade of pink once they have been cooked.
As with the varying colors and water preferences, shrimp also vary greatly in size. Some shrimp can be as large as twelve inches, while other species of shrimp can be as small as half an inch. In the United States, shrimp are sold on the "count" basis. This is basically an average between size and the weight of the shrimp. The fewer shrimp it takes to create a pound, the larger each shrimp will be, thus resulting in a more costly purchase.
On average, there is about five billion pounds of shrimp produced every year. About twenty percent of this amount is farmed. "Farmed shrimp" refers to the aquaculture business in which shrimp are bred and raised in a commercial setting to be sold to consumers. This practice began in the 70's and now the largest producers of farm grown shrimp are Thailand and China, with Brazil following in at a close third. About eighty percent of all farmed shrimp consists of Pacific white shrimp and the giant tiger prawn.
In just four ounces of shrimp, there is an estimated 1.22 grams of fat, 112.27 grams of calories, 220 grams of cholesterol, and .37 grams of omega-3 fatty acids. But that's not all! Shrimp is an excellent source of folate and B vitamins, vitamins A, D, E, potassium, iron, calcium, and magnesium. They are also relatively high in sodium. Even though shrimp does tend to be high in cholesterol, they are low in calories as well as fat, which means they can be quite the lean addition to one's diet. It has been said that eating shrimp on a regular basis can help prevent the development of conditions such as circulation disorders, high blood pressure, Alzheimer's disease, and depression.
The shrimp facts listed in this article merely scrape the surface when it comes to shrimp production and nutrition. Shrimp are very basic sea dwellers, but they also have much to offer to both one's dinner plate or an aquarium. But if you've never had the pleasure of tasting shrimp, why not pop by your local seafood restaurant? After all, around eighty percent of the shrimp eaten in the United States is done so in a restaurant! Bon appétit!