Yes, it’s a ‘Forrest Gump’ reference and it should be expected any time shrimp is mentioned for the subsequent 20 years. “Bubba Gump” shrimp is how Forrest made his millions in the Hollywood picture. But, the flick will always be remembered for the wonderful variety of way somebody can make shrimp. As Bubba would say, “There’s barbecue shrimp, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp soup, fried shrimp….the list is almost endless. And whilst there are certainly a giant number of ways to cook shrimp, there is actually a fair amount of confusion as to what precisely a shrimp really is. Maybe Bubba wasn’t basically cooking shrimp?
In Britain and a number of other places, what would be called shrimp in the US is actually referred to as prawn. If you were to look at a prawn and a shrimp side by side, it’d be very unlikely to distinguish which was which. Technically talking a prawn truly is not a shrimp.
To the naked eye, the 2 may appear matching but they are biologically different. On the stomach of a shrimp or prawn are flaps. Without going into too much detail and causing everyone to go running for a Biology book, let’s just say the there’s a very subtle difference difference between the 1st stomach flap on a shrimp and a prawn. But basically, these are the same creature.
As far as the Yankees are concerned, a shrimp is any crustacean that is part of the Natantia family of crustaceans. It doesn’t matter how big the shrimp is or where it is found-so long as it is a Nantantia crustacean-it’s a shrimp! However, there is a rather strange phenomenon among American shrimp that does have to do with size.
Were Bubba to have grown up on the West Coast of the United States, he most certainly would not have seen much potential in the shrimp-for eating, let alone making any money! This is because the classic size of a shrimp found of the West Coast is about in. In length. For some reason, the Pacific Sea just is not a great place for jumbo shrimp to grow. But elsewhere, it isn’t anything for shrimp to be 12 inches in length or more.
Shrimp, like any species, comes in a wide assortment of variety. There are rock, brine, royal red, white, brown, and even pink shrimp to choose from. Each offers a unique flavor and consistency but all are absolutely delicious when prepared properly. And, Bubba was correct-you can make shrimp just about any way your imagination will let you! So whether you want to call it prawn or just plain old shrimp-the truth is that it tastes great no matter how you make it!.
Do you like to cook? If so, visit cooking101.org and get easy recipes you can use everyday to make delicious meals for the entire family and you might also want to take a look at recipe for grilled shrimp salad.
Tags: bubba shrimp, cooking, food, prawn, shrimp
