Thursday, February 5, 2009

Florida shrimp


shrimp … glorious shrimp.
No matter the season, just thinking about eating succulent and sweet wild-caught Florida shrimp can be intoxicating.
As America’s favorite seafood, shrimp is the perfect tastebud tickler to spark your appetite and pique your culinary curiosity.
As a perennial chef’s favorite, wild-caught Florida shrimp shines in culinary cuisines from the Pacific Rim, the Italian countryside, South Beach and the bistros of Europe.
Florida shrimp can be a superstar on any menu when presented simply or in creative combinations with a variety of ingredients, including Florida citrus, tropical fruit and exotic spices.
There are five species of wild-caught Florida shrimp commercially harvested in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters. Four shrimp species are categorized by shell color: pink, white, brown, and royal red.
The fifth species is rock shrimp, a smaller deep-water cousin of the pink, brown, and white shrimp with a tough, rock-hard shell.
The majority of the shrimp harvested in Florida are the pink species.

Shrimp is the most popular seafood


Succulent and sweet, wild-caught shrimp is available fresh year-round and is an excellent source of high-quality protein.
Naturally low in fat, carbohydrates and calories, it is an ideal choice for a low-carbohydrate diet and healthy lifestyle.
It also is a source of omega-3 fatty acid, which medical research shows may reduce the risk of heart disease.
Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the United States, so it is good to know that it is a naturally renewable and sustainable resource.
Most shrimp spawn offshore in deep water from early spring through early fall.
They reproduce rapidly with one female shrimp releasing thousands of eggs that hatch within 24 hours.
Young shrimp are carried by currents into coastal estuaries to mature. When water temperatures are warm, shrimp grow very fast. As the shrimp grow, they move gradually seaward returning to the ocean to spawn.
The average life cycle of a shrimp in the wild is only 13 months or less. Some records indicate some have lived longer but those are the exception.
They reproduce rapidly, which is a good thing since so many people like to eat them. Female shrimp lay over a thousand eggs, which are attached to her swimming legs.
Most shrimp spawn offshore in deep water from early spring through early fall.
Young shrimp are carried by currents into coastal estuaries to mature. Shrimp grow very quickly.
They often have to shed their old shells to grow new ones so the fit is better.