Shrimp, prawns, scampi, lobster and crab. Everyone has heard of them and almost everyone has tried them. But do you actually know the difference between these and other seafood? Probably not, and those aren't even the only terms for crustaceans and shellfish. There are also things like langostino, prawns and prawns.
Are you completely overwhelmed now? Don't worry, you're not alone. Many people are not aware of the differences. But if you've always wanted to find out more about crustaceans and shellfish, you've come to the right place. We have put together all of these types for you to introduce them to you in more detail. Plus, learn why crustaceans and shellfish are so healthy and get a few tips on how to prepare each of these types.
Distinguish between crustaceans – crabs and shrimps
What are shrimp and how is it different from crabs? In principle, this refers to all shellfish (due to their thin shell) that do not have claws. In common usage the term “crabs” is also used, which means that they are one and the same, even if it is not zoologically correct.
Crabs are a generic term for all shellfish such as shrimps, prawns, prawns and others, which differ primarily in their size and origin. Seen this way, there is no difference. We would like to go into the different names in more detail below.
Crabs as crustaceans and other names
The word crab usually refers to the North Sea shrimp, which is also known as garnet, leek and knat, among others. As the name suggests, it is one of the North Sea crab species. The crustaceans have scissor-like limbs at the front, but these differ from the scissors typical of lobsters and crabs. These grow up to 9.5 cm tall.
Before you can prepare the North Sea shrimps, you must first peel this type of shrimp properly. This is called “pulling”. But how do you cook crabs? If you want to peel North Sea crabs, take the head and tail between two fingers. Then the tank is bent in the middle. With a slight twisting movement in opposite directions, you can easily remove the shell of the shellfish. Now you can prepare the crabs.
You often hear that North Sea crabsharmful to healthare. But this is only the case if they are not bought fresh locally. The majority of the catch is then transported to countries such as Morocco, Poland or Belarus to be peeled by hand due to cheaper wages. In order not to spoil on the long way back, the shrimps are preserved in benzoic acid, which is harmful to health in large quantities. And although there are legal limits, three times the usual amount of these shellfish is permitted.
King prawns (White Tiger)
As the name suggests, this is a very large species. Shellfish also fall into this categoryPrawns, which is a Spanish term. What are prawns? These species of crabs are caught in warm coastal waters (mostly Africa). Langostinos are visually comparable to prawns, but a bit larger. Both terms are mainly used in Spain.
DieTiger Prawns(Tiger prawns), also called black tiger or king prawns, are a rarer variety. The origin of the Black Tiger species is Asia, where they are bred in aquaculture. The king prawn size is up to 20 cm. However, medium-sized ones that are 4 to 6 cm tall are usually sold.
How do you eat prawns and other king prawns?
Due to their large size, 3 pieces of these shellfish are usually enough for one person. However, since medium-sized prawns are sold in most cases, you can also include 6-8 pieces if you want to eat prawns. No matter whether the king prawns are Black Tiger, Gambas or White Tiger, the preparation is the same for all of them. Overall, it depends on whether you buy these crustaceans raw or pre-cooked and peeled or not peeled.
Prepare purchased raw king prawns
If they are raw and not peeled, you can fry or grill prawns. For example, you can prepare prawns with skin on shish kebab skewers. Shrimp skewers as a side dish are perfect! Of course, the same applies if you want to grill black tiger or other types of king prawns. There is a simple recipe for frying that you can choose quickly. This means crabs in garlic oil. Simply add a clove of garlic to the pan with a little butter and fry the delicious shellfish in it.
Prepare pre-cooked king prawns
Pre-cooked and frozen king prawns are also available. First you have to defrost the Tiger Prawns, White Tiger or Gambas. Then you can season prawns or marinate prawns as you wish. Some recipes require the shellfish to be only partially thawed.
A delicious prawn marinade is as follows. It is also suitable for other types of shrimp, so you can also use it to prepare frozen Black Tiger. For the tiger prawn recipe, simply mix all the ingredients and then the finished marinade with the half-thawed shellfish and let it sit in the fridge overnight. You can then grill the tiger prawns as desired or briefly fry the king prawns in the pan.
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 squeezes lemon juice (preferably a fresh lemon)
- 1 teaspoon mustard, spicy to taste
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1/2 TL Honig
- olive oil
- Pfeffer
- Salt
Would you likePrawnsTo prepare and more precisely grill or fry langostinos, this marinade recipe is, as you can imagine, just as suitable. We also recommend this simple Langostino recipe:
- 1 kg of langoustine
- 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 sprigs of marjoram
- 1/2 lemon (preferably organic), sliced
- Salt
In a large skillet, heat the oil. In the meantime, you can peel and devein the langostinos. Add the langostino tails to the pan and fry until they turn pink. Baste them often with the frying fat. You can then place them warm in the preheated oven at 60 to prepare the marinade. To do this, fry the garlic slices in the same pan and frying fat until golden brown, deglaze with lemon juice and bring to the boil. Season with salt and serve with the langostinos along with the lemon slices and marjoram.
Medium-sized species
Maybe you've already heard the name when it comes to shellfishShrimp(also prawns) belongs. But what are shrimp? It is just the French name for shrimp.Prawnsagain the term is in English. However, these are smaller compared to king prawns, but larger than the shrimp, which we will discuss in more detail below.
This means you can devein shrimp (see below) and peel shrimp just like the other types of shrimp. Remove the head and legs as well. Then you can prepare shrimps as you like. Marinated shrimps are very tasty. The recipe above is great for this purpose. In principle, you can marinate with garlic, oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. In addition, you can refine the marinade for the shellfish with ginger, chili or paprika.
Cooking shrimps – how long?
The shrimps are cooked including the shell and head (if you bought them unpeeled). After about three minutes, the originally gray shellfish become more pink. Take the shellfish out of the water, let them cool down a little and peel and devein them and then process them as desired.
Smaller crabs and shrimps
Shrimp species
Are you wondering what the difference is between shrimp and prawns? Well, there isn't any. Prawn is also a generic term for shrimp. Shrimp is a smaller type of shellfish. More precisely, this is the name given to the species of which more than 200 pieces are needed to obtain one kilo.
The term comes from English. There are two types of shrimp and they are the cold-water shrimp (also Greenland shrimp or Arctic shrimp), which come from the ice-cold North Atlantic, and the warm-water shrimp, which in turn are caught from the warm waters of the Indo-Pacific.
Like all other types of shrimp, shrimp are healthy as long as they are fresh and not preserved in benzoic acid. So contain shrimpProtein, i.e. proteins, in large quantities, which is good for the brain and muscles. This also ensures that you feel full quickly. In addition, they are low in fat and calories. How many calories do shrimp and other such seafood have? You can find out more below.
You can cook shrimp in the pan as we explained above for the king prawns. You can also use marinade for shrimp to enhance its taste. However, many people prefer the actual aroma of these small shellfish, which is tended to be masked by various sauces. If you don't want to add a lot of seasoning, choose the version mentioned above with garlic butter, in which you can also fry shrimp. If you would also like to try out a sauce, we recommend the followingShrimp sauce with cream and white wine:
- 250 g Shrimps
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 100 ml white wine
- 100 ml Sahne
- 1 tsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp olive oil
- for seasoning: tarragon, pepper, salt
Heat the oil in a pan and fry the shallots and garlic until the onions are translucent. Then add the shrimp, fry until lightly browned and add the tarragon. Then deglaze with the white wine and cook for a few minutes. Now stir in the cream, bring the sauce to the boil and add the tomato paste. Season with pepper and salt and cook for a few more minutes.
Summary tips for preparation
How do you eat shrimp and how do you prepare it?
Did you know that you can actually eat crabs raw? But you should only do this if you are really sure that the shellfish are fresh. However, since it is usually difficult to verify the origin, this is not recommended. But even with fresh shellfish, the risk of catching a parasite is too high. You should therefore not eat them raw. Instead, you can boil them as you like, fry or grill them, marinate them or serve them with various sauces (e.g. tomato sauce). The selection of recipes is sufficiently large.
When preparing it, it is important that you devein the shellfish, even if this is a rather tedious job. The fact is that the shellfish contain pathogens in the intestines that can cause illness. In addition, with intestines they become more bitter in taste. So prevent this by simply slitting the back, grabbing the gut and carefully pulling it out. Then wash the shrimp thoroughly again.
The shell of the shrimp is so thin that they do not need to be peeled. This has the advantage, especially when roasting, that the meat is protected and remains tender. You can therefore do this even with large crabs and only peel them after preparation. Small shrimp species are very difficult to devein, which is why many people avoid it. However, this is not recommended for larger varieties.
Tipp: You should not throw away the removed shells of large shellfish. Instead, you can wash them well and then use them to make sauces by frying them briefly. They give the sauce a unique flavor. You can then remove them again (e.g. using a sieve).
How long do you cook shrimp?
To maintain the delicate and aromatic taste, you need to fry and cook the shellfish properly.
- Cook: All you have to do is bring salted water to the boil, add the shrimp and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. The meat becomes pink and tender. In this way you can prepare everything with the peel and head on or use products that have already been peeled.
- Roast and grill: How long you can fry or grill the seafood depends primarily on whether it is peeled or not. It doesn't matter whether you are frying king prawns, prawns or shrimps. If you do thiswith bowlTo prepare them, they are protected from drying out when roasting. As with cooking, 2 to 3 minutes is enough.
Without shell1 to 2 minutes per side is enough, otherwise the shellfish will become dry. This also applies to grilling. So if you want to use the pan, you should be careful with the time.
- Steaming:Depending on the size, the shellfish are steamed for 5 to 10 minutes to cook. This type of preparation is very gentle.
- Bake: The shellfish take the longest to cook through in the oven. However, it is still a popular and quick preparation method compared to other foods. At 200 to 230 degrees they need 10 to 15 minutes. Brush them with oil and any spices beforehand.
- Deep frying:Admittedly, with all the oil, the fat-free properties of shrimps, king prawns, etc. are lost, but they are still delicious when fried. You can treat yourself to that every now and then, right? In the hot oil, the shellfish are ready after just 30 seconds.
What do you eat with it?
You have bought the delicious shellfish and now you finally want to prepare it. But what goes well with shrimp? The great news is that there are almost no limits to what you can do. You can use them for soups or with a matching oneSauce for pasta. They are also very popular in combination with rice, in salads or on pizza.
You can also combine shrimp withspicessuch as curry, vanilla, chili, caraway and ginger, with coconut milk or coconut flakes and also with yogurt sauces. MatchingHerbsare basil, parsley, coriander, garlic, chives and mint. You can use it for salad or as a side dishVegetablessuch as peppers, zucchini, cauliflower or avocado and for more exotic dishesfruitsuch as citrus fruits, such as mango, lychee, pineapple and kiwi.
Shrimp, king prawns, prawns etc. can also be prepared with other meat products if, for example, you want to grill a meat skewer or make a salad with meat. SuitableMeatis poultry, as well as bacon, chorizo, bacon and cabanossi.
Be careful when defrosting!
If you want to prepare frozen shellfish, they must first be thawed. This should not be done carelessly, as these are foods that spoil very quickly. Therefore, the refrigerator is the best place if you want to defrost shrimp. Depending on the size, this takes 3 to 6 hours, although you can first melt the top layer of ice under running water. After rinsing, place them in a sieve and then place this in a bowl. This allows the water to drain away without the shellfish lying in the water.
If you want to thaw frozen shellfish quickly, you can pour hot water over them or put them frozen in the pot and cook. However, this is only recommended in an emergency. Once thawed, all types of shrimp should be prepared and not re-frozen. By the way, frozen versions are already peeled, deveined and no longer have a head. If you want to save yourself these rather tedious steps, you can easily cook frozen shrimp.
The size summarized
You may have noticed numbers on the packaging when purchasing any kind (e.g. 16/20). These simply indicate how many pieces are available per English pound. This is necessary because shrimp grow in different sizes and therefore the same number of pieces cannot always be packed per pound and, conversely, a certain number of pieces cannot always have the same weight. The example numbering simply means that there are 16 to 20 pieces of shellfish per pound in the package.
The different shrimp size classes and their respective names are summarized again:
- small = shrimp
- medium-sized = prawns, shrimps
- large = king prawns, king prawns, tiger prawns, tiger prawns
Note:In the USA, large species are called shrimps and small ones are called prawns.
Nutritional values and health properties
The amount of calories in prawns and of course all other types of shrimp is extremely low. Fortunately, they are only around 92 per 100g. Besides, they areextremely low in carbohydrates(1g/100g) and also low in fat (1.4g/100g), but have plenty of protein. They have a whopping 19g per 100g of protein and that makes the shellfish healthy.
How much per person?
Aside from the fact that everyone can generally consume different amounts, the right amount of shrimp also depends on how exactly you prepare them. With pasta in a sauce, for example, you need less to fill you up than if you eat the shellfish on its own or in a salad. On the other hand, size also plays a role. For king prawns, 6 to 8 pieces can be enough, for shrimp you need more. You can use the following list as a guide:
- appetizer: 80 g peeled or 180 g unpeeled shellfish per person
- The soup: 200 g peeled shellfish (but it's better to buy unpeeled ones and cook the shells for better flavor)
- Main course: 300g peeled shrimp per person
- The grill: 400 g pro Person
There is also plenty of confusion about the lobster-like crustaceans. Scampis (also langoustine), lobsters and spiny lobsters are lobster-like and have claws. Therefore, they are not classified as shrimps or crabs as they are commonly used. Now you will find out exactly what the difference is between these crustaceans.
The lobster
The lobster is caught in both Europe and Canada and grows up to 55 cm. “Lobster” is just another name. So there is no difference between lobster and lobster. Since lobsters are cooked immediately after being caught and frozen in salt water, they are usually also available frozen. The main season for catching these crustaceans is spring and summer.
Live animals available in winter are still from this season and no longer have a high meat content, as they do not eat in captivity and live from their reserves. So the crustaceans are not of such good quality. As you probably know, the claws, legs (less common) and tail of lobsters are edible parts. Most of the time the lobster is served without legs and halved.
And what is the difference between lobster and spiny lobster? Since they look very similar to lobsters, and also in terms of their size, many people think that they are one and the same crustacean. But that's not how it is. Spiny lobsters do not have such pronounced claws. If you buy the animal alive, make sure that the tail is still slightly curved. Otherwise you will be disappointed with the taste.
Prepare frozen lobster
If you want to prepare frozen lobster or the edible parts, you should thaw it slowly in the refrigerator like the shrimp. In this way you prevent the meat of the crustaceans from becoming tough when cooking. It is then best cooked in enough water, which you enrich with sea salt, garlic, carrots, leeks, celery, caraway and any herbs.
Boil this stock with the lobster once, remove the pot from the heat and let the lobster steep in the water for 15 to 25 minutes. After cooking, remove the peel and serve the meat.
Scampi
Scampi (scampo in the singular and incorrectly also “scampis” in the plural) are often referred to as shrimp, but this is incorrect. The reason for this is probably that they are similar when peeled. However, they belong to the lobster family and are therefore a little more expensive than shrimps or prawns. Scampi are also known as langoustine or Norwegian lobster. In France these crustaceans are called Langoustine.
Difference from scampi
There is a difference between scampi and prawns like shrimp that will help you distinguish them. The difference is that the Scampo has scissors. So scampi are not shellfish with claws, but a different family.
Scampi calories
As you can probably guess, scampis are also low in calories. You can only count on 9 calories per piece. There are around 45 calories per serving and 100 g of seafood contains around 90 calories. The nutritional values are therefore comparable.
Cook langoustines
The Norway lobster is always sold unpeeled as a whole animal or just the tail. Of course, you can find and use a variety of recipes if you want to prepare scampi. You can marinate scampi, pickle it, serve it with sauce and much more. Here are a few ideas:
Scampi Marinade
- approx. 10 scampi, thawed and halved lengthways
- fresh ginger, grated about 1 inch
- 5 garlic cloves, pressed
- 2 EL Curry
- 1 EL Honig
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of one lime
- pepper and salt
All ingredients are mixed together well and the scampi is brushed with the marinade. After you pickle the scampi, let the marinade sit in the fridge for at least two hours so that all the flavors can be absorbed by the meat. If you want to eat marinated scampi, you canGrill as desiredor fry. Since the shell of the langoustines is relatively soft, you can also fry scampi with the shell on and only then peel them.
Scampi Butter Sauce
For about 4 servings:
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 splash of Tabasco sauce
A garlic butter sauce, which we already mentioned above with the shrimp, is particularly quick and easy. Melt the butter in a pan on the stove and add the garlic. After about 2 minutes, add the remaining ingredients and season with salt. Bring the sauce to the boil briefly and serve it best with pasta or rice and garnished with scampi. Also oneSalad tastes good with it.
And what is the difference between cancer and crab?
Visually speaking, the difference is that the tail of the crab is folded under the stomach, which is not the case with crayfish. Another typical feature of crabs is that these shellfish walk sideways. Crabs, on the other hand, run forward or, when threatened, use their tail to quickly push themselves away.
And once again all the names are briefly and concisely compared
- Lobster isnotsame as lobster
- Shrimps (dt.) = Prawns (engl.) = Krevetten (frz.) = Camarones (port.) = Gambero (ital.) = Garides (griech.) = Gambas/Langostino (span.)
- Norwegian lobster = scampo = Norway lobster = langoustine
Crabs during pregnancy
During pregnancy you often ask yourself what you can eat and what is unfavorable or even dangerous. Can pregnant women eat crabs? The answer is plain and simpleand, but under some conditions. On the one hand, it is important to pay attention to good quality and, on the other hand, you must definitely cook the meat well. Therefore raw ones areSpecialties like sushiabsolutely forbidden.
So well-cooked shrimp during pregnancy is not a problem. It is also very important that seafood such as shellfish and crustaceans are deveined because the organs contain large amounts of mercury, which are harmful. It is recommended that you consult your doctor before consumption. They can give you advice. Otherwise, the proteins and omega-3 fatty acids contained in crabs are extremely beneficial for you and the baby.
More crab meat recipes
So you now know that lobsters and crabs are healthy. And if you also like the unique aroma of these shellfish and crustaceans, you will definitely feel like preparing one or two dishes. In addition to the recipes already mentioned above, we have put together some tasty ideas for you.
Shrimp, prawns or king prawns with rice
For 4 servings:
- 265 g Reis
- 650 ml chicken stock
- 450g any shrimp, deveined and peeled
- 4 THE BUTTER
- 1 tsp minced garlic
For the seasoning mixture:
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a pan. In the meantime, mix all the ingredients for the spice mixture together. Add half of this mixture to the pan along with the rice and garlic. Mix everything together well and then pour in the broth. Cook everything for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, you can melt the remaining butter and mix it with the remaining spice mixture. Now you can season the shellfish by adding it to the mixture. Once the rice is ready, you can add the shrimp and cook for another two to three minutes. The dish is ready when the shrimp meat turns pink.
Tipp:You can also pre-fry the shrimp in advance if you want them crispy brown. Then we recommend using unpeeled shellfish so that the meat doesn't dry out, and ideally small shrimp so that you don't have to peel them when eating. If king prawns are fried with the shell on instead, you will have to peel them later. First fry the shrimps, keep them warm, then cook the rice and finally put the fried shrimps back into the pan.
Season the shrimp skewers
If you are looking for recipes with the peel, skewers are a good choice because, like when roasting, the peel protects the meat from becoming too dry. For this simple recipe you will need:
- approx. 1 kg king prawns, peeled or not as desired
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 TL Cayenne
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 400 ml olive oil
- Juice of half a lemon
- optional: 2 splashes of hot sauce
- 12 shish kebab skewers
If the skewers are made of wood, soak them in water in advance. Place the shellfish in a bowl and combine the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Then add the finished seasoning mixture to the king prawns and marinate them. Skewer the shrimp and grill for a minute and a half per side.
Crab Owner
- 6 large eggs
- 115 g small shrimp, lobster or crab meat
- 55 g Mayonnaise
- 1 TL Dijonsenf
- 1 teaspoon fish seasoning (e.g. Old Bay)
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (save a small portion for sprinkling)
- 25 – 30 g Corn kernels
Anyone who enjoys stuffed eggs will fall in love with crab eggs. First, boil the eggs until they are hard. Then rinse them with cold water and leave them in the cold water so that they cool down faster. In the meantime you can prepare the meat. You can fry or steam shrimp as you like, but you can steam crab or lobster meat. If you choose the frying option, you can also marinate the crabs beforehand.
Peel and halve the eggs. Using a spoon, remove the egg yolk and place it in a bowl. Add all the ingredients except the corn and the meat and stir into a cream. If you are using crab or lobster meat, you can now stir in half the amount and the corn. Now use a teaspoon of the filling to fill the eggs again. Finallygarnish with the shrimpor with the rest of the meat.
