Have you ever really looked at a shrimp? They are amazing creatures. Different kinds of shrimp grow to different sizes, yet all of them taste delicious. Nevertheless, there is a lot about shrimp that many people do not know. For instance, do you know that they refer to raw shrimp as being green?

Shrimp have ten legs. Since most of us do not see shrimp before they are shelled, we do not see the legs. What we call the head of the shrimp is actually the head and the thorax. It takes up half the body size of the shrimp. They are cousins to other crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters. They also are not far from insects on the old family tree, which is the reason some chefs call them "bugs."

In the United States, we eat a billion pounds of shrimp per year. In fact, in Las Vegas, Nevada, 60,000 pounds of shrimp are consumed every day... that is more than everywhere else in the U. S. combined! Wow, that is a lot of shrimp! Almost 90% of that is imported from Central America and Asia, and 40% of that is farmed shrimp. Almost 80% of the shrimp we eat here is consumed in restaurants. We like to eat them, but apparently, we do not like to cook them ourselves. Once you have tried cooking them a few times, you will see how easy it really is.

As Forrest Gump would say, "Shrimp is the fruit of the sea." He then goes on to list 21 different ways to prepare it, including three different methods of frying. Shrimp really is versatile and can be used in soups, stews, as well as for appetizers, main dishes, and snacks. These tasty gems can be added to almost anything. Saut them, fry them or broil them... they all taste wonderful.

The terms "prawn" and "shrimp" are often used interchangeably, when in fact they are two separate creatures. This is confusing even for the experts. For example, the California spot prawn is really a shrimp while the ridgeback shrimp is really a prawn. Fish markets often label every large shrimp as a prawn, but there are physical differences between the two. Shrimp have side flaps that overlap while prawns have two segments on their tail that are the same size.

Shrimp make great easy party appetizers. You can purchase them in a variety of sizes like small, medium, large, jumbo, and colossal. They are sold by count. For example, jumbo shrimp would be labeled 21/25 on the package. This means there are 21 to 25 shrimp per pound. You can serve them lightly cooked in all of their glory or you can add them to recipes.

Different types of shrimp have different flavors and textures that are influenced by the waters they live in as well as by what they eat. Wild shrimp have a richer, more complex flavor because they have a more varied diet than farmed shrimp. They are also firmer since they must swim to find their food. Farmed shrimp will have a softer texture.