[Lunch Menu Recommendation] Shrimp Dishes Everyone Will Love: What Are the Options?

Shrimp are arthropods and are known for their remarkable diversity. Varieties include freshwater shrimp, waesaengi shrimp, cleaner shrimp, cherry shrimp, harlequin shrimp, gasibal shrimp, whiteleg shrimp, red-legged spotted shrimp, fleshy prawns, kuruma prawns, and snapping shrimp. Because each type has a different habitat and diet, they are also known to differ in flavor.

Shrimp are widely loved as an ingredient in both Eastern and Western cuisines for their flavor and texture, and countless shrimp recipes have consequently been developed. Their bodies are generally translucent and colorless, but turn white and red when cooked with heat. Rich in protein and various nutrients, shrimp have a mild flavor and pleasantly firm, chewy texture that appeal to people of all ages. They also make a fitting addition to many dishes. Shrimp are used in a wide variety of preparations, from simple butter-grilled or deep-fried shrimp to shrimp fried rice, shrimp pasta, raw shrimp sashimi, and shrimp soup.

Not only the flesh but also the shells of shrimp can be eaten. When whole shrimp are deep-fried, they offer a crispy exterior and tender interior at the same time. In Korea, salt-grilled fleshy prawns—a type of shrimp cooked on a bed of salt—are widely enjoyed. Small shrimp are also fermented into jeotgal, one of Korea’s traditional foods. Salted shrimp, or saeu-jeot, has a distinctly fishy taste, but it is also widely used as a seasoning to neutralize the characteristic odor of meat.

[Fam Times = Reporter Kim Young-ji]