Hey there seafood lovers! Today I’m super excited to share everything I know about one of the most amazing shellfish I’ve ever tasted – royal red shrimp. If you haven’t tried these crimson beauties yet, you’re in for a real treat!
What Makes Royal Red Shrimp So Special?
Let me tell ya, these aren’t your regular everyday shrimp. Royal reds (scientifically known as Pleoticus robustus) are like the fancy cousins of normal shrimp. Here’s what makes them stand out:
- They live waaay deep in the ocean (like 800-1,500 feet down!)
- They have this gorgeous deep red color
- The taste is more like lobster and scallops than regular shrimp
- They’re usually bigger than other shrimp varieties
- They’re super tender and have a naturally sweet, buttery flavor
Where Can You Find These Underwater Gems?
These special shrimp are pretty sneaky – they hide out in deep waters from Massachusetts all the way down to South America! But if you’re looking for the best spots to find them here’s where to look
- Gulf of Mexico (especially along the Florida Panhandle)
- Coastal Mississippi
- Alabama’s coastline
- New England waters (where they’re called Stonington reds)
When’s the Best Time to Get Your Hands on Royal Reds?
The peak season for these bad boys is September, but you can generally find them from late summer through late fall. But here’s the cool thing – since most fishermen freeze them right on the boat after catching them you can actually enjoy them year-round! Pretty neat huh?
Cooking Tips: Don’t Mess This Up!
Listen up, because this is important! Royal reds need special treatment in the kitchen. Here are my top tips:
- Cook Time: These guys cook SUPER fast – like half the time of regular shrimp!
- Best Cooking Methods:
- Steaming
- Light grilling
- Butter poaching
- Raw (perfect for aguachile!)
Simple Royal Red Shrimp Recipe
Here’s my favorite way to prepare these beauties:
What you’ll need:
- Fresh or thawed royal red shrimp
- Butter
- Garlic
- Lemon
- Salt to taste
Steps:
- If frozen, thaw your shrimp (use them same day!)
- Heat up your grill or steamer
- Cook gently for HALF the time you’d cook regular shrimp
- Serve with melted butter and lemon
- Don’t forget plenty of napkins!
Where to Try Them
If you’re heading down to the Gulf Coast here are some awesome spots to try royal reds
- The Blind Tiger – amazing Gulf views while you peel and eat
- Knuckleheads in Ocean Springs – they’ve got all-you-can-eat on Wednesdays!
- Any Shaggy’s location – try their royal red roll
- DeSoto’s Seafood Kitchen in Gulf Shores
- Aquila Seafood in Bon Secour (where the locals go)
Fun Facts That’ll Make You Sound Smart
- Only a few fishermen are actually licensed to catch royal reds
- They’re caught up to 60 miles offshore
- They weren’t widely known outside Alabama until the 1990s
- They’re considered the “crown jewel” of Gulf shrimp
Why Should You Give Royal Reds a Try?
I gotta tell ya, once you taste royal red shrimp, regular shrimp just won’t be the same! They’re perfect for:
- Special occasions
- Seafood lovers who want something different
- Anyone who loves lobster but doesn’t wanna spend big bucks
- People who appreciate unique local delicacies
The Bottom Line
Royal red shrimp are seriously one of the Gulf Coast’s best-kept secrets. They’re like getting lobster flavor at shrimp prices! While they might be a bit harder to find than regular shrimp, trust me – they’re totally worth the hunt.
So next time you’re near the Gulf Coast or spot these beauties at your local seafood market, don’t hesitate! Grab some royal reds and prepare to have your mind blown by these amazing crustaceans.
Remember, less is more with these special shrimp – let their natural flavors shine through and you’ll have an unforgettable seafood experience!
#seafood #royalreds #gulfcoast #cooking #foodie #shrimp
Extraction of Major Lipophilic Compounds
The major lipophilic compounds, including fatty acids, tocols, and sterols, were simultaneously extracted following the previous method [6,7,8] with minor modification. The details procedure is illustrated in Figure 1. The extracted crude lipids were aliquoted to three fractions, as illustrated in Figure 1 and utilized accordingly. Tocols were analyzed before hydrolysis as suggested by Cruz et al. [6]. Fraction 2 was hydrolyzed following the procedure of Cruz et al. [6] with minor modification (Figure 2A). The extracted crude lipids were converted to fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) (Figure 2B) and analyzed by gas chromatograph-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
Method for the simultaneous extraction of major lipophilic compounds.
(A) Method for hydrolysis of crude lipid extract for sterols analysis, and (B) preparation of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs).
Ramesh Kumar Saini1Department of Crop Science, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-701, Korea; [email protected] (R.K.S.); [email protected] (M.-H.S.)Find articles by
Received 2020 Jul 25; Accepted 2020 Aug 24; Collection date 2020 Sep. © 2020 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study was aimed at comparatively analyzing the sterols, tocopherols and fatty acids from edible flesh and processing waste obtained from three shrimp species, utilizing rapid liquid chromatography (LC)-atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Results revealed the presence of significantly (p < 0.05) high proportions of health-beneficial omega-3 (n3) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in Argentine red shrimp (34.3% in waste and 38.2% in the flesh), compared to black tiger shrimp (16.5–24.2%) and whiteleg shrimp (13.2–22.6%). Among sterols, cholesterol was found most dominant, accounting in the range 349.4 (white shrimp flesh) to 559.3 µg/g fresh weight (FW) (black shrimp waste). Surprisingly, waste was found to contain a substantially higher amount of α-tocopherol, for instance, 21.7 µg/g FW in edible flesh and 35.3 µg/g FW in the waste of black tiger shrimp. The correlation analysis indicated that shrimp with low total contents of lipids might have higher proportions of health-beneficial long-chain (LC)-n3-PUFAs eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). The fat quality indices, including the high ratios of hypocholesterolemic (h)/hypercholesterolemic (H) fatty acids, and lowest values of the atherogenic index (AI) and thrombogenic index (TI) indicated the health-beneficial potential associated with fat intake from red shrimp. Overall, a significant amount of health-beneficial compounds in edible flesh of studied shrimp confers its extraordinary nutritional benefits. Moreover, considering the richness of processing waste with these compounds, their valorization can be prompted.
Keywords: Argentine red shrimp, black tiger shrimp, white leg shrimp, cholesterol, α-tocopherol, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), shrimp waste valorization
Shrimp are the most economically vital and globally traded commodity among crustaceans and all fish products [1]. According to the FAO statistics, 9.4 million tons of crustaceans (live weight), worth USD 69.3 billion were produced in 2018 [1]. Among them, whiteleg shrimp (Penaeus vannamei) alone accounted for 4.9 million tons of production (52.9% of total crustacean production) [1]. However, the marine capture production is dominated by Argentine red shrimp (Pleoticus muelleri) which accounted for 256 thousand tons of production (4% of the total 6 million tons of marine capture production of crustaceans) [1]. Shrimp are a key component of a Mediterranean diet, rich in protein, selenium, vitamin B12, vitamin E, omega-3 (n3) long-chain (LC)-polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and astaxanthin, a potent antioxidant carotenoid [2]. Especially, shrimp are a rich source of health-beneficial eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, n3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, n3) that play the key roles in key regulating body homeostasis [3].
The domestic and industrial processing of shrimp involves the separation of head and carapace residues (waste) and muscles (edible flesh). Studies show that such processing generates 40–60% of food waste [4]. Given the high contents of nutritionally vital components in shrimp, their processing waste can be utilized to recover these nutrients, which can be utilized as health supplements [5]. Moreover, the valorization of processing this waste can solve the problem of its disposal. Additionally, it can generate surplus revenue which can significantly improve the economics of food production and processing.
Considering that a significant amount of waste is generated from shrimp processing, the present investigation was aimed at analyzing major sterols, tocols (Vit E; a sum of α-, β-, γ-and δ-tocopherol, and α-, β-, γ-, and δ-tocotrienol), and fatty acid from edible flesh and processing waste of three species of shrimp, utilizing modern liquid chromatography (LC)-atmospheric-pressure chemical ionization (APCI)-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). Fatty acids were analyzed by gas chromatography (GC)-mass spectrometry (MS). The fatty acid composition data from edible flesh and processing waste were utilized to determine the fat quality characteristics. The results obtained herein are anticipated to contribute significantly to demonstrate the nutritional significance of shrimp, and valorization potential of shrimp processing waste.
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FAQ
What’s the difference between red shrimp and regular shrimp?
Royal Red Shrimp are found deep in the ocean and are red when raw. They’re sweeter than regular shrimp with a flavor and texture more like lobster. Learn how to cook Royal Reds here.
Are red shrimp good to eat?
In the culinary world, flavor is king, and Argentine red shrimp reign supreme with their distinctive taste, naturally sweet and buttery, that sets them apart from other shrimp varieties.
Why is red shrimp so expensive?
They’re expensive because they’re endangered in the wild, the only source is breeders, and they seem to be picky about parameters.
Does red shrimp taste like lobster?
Argentine red shrimp taste like lobster…and honestly, they have a more consistent texture and flavor than a lot of lobster tails sold in grocery stores. At a fraction of the cost. Their meaty texture and sweet, succulent flavor will take your seafood dinner to an entirely new level.