Did you know that there are well over 300 species of shrimp around the world? Each type of shrimp has its own characteristics in flavor, texture, and cooking times. There are a multitude of different varieties of shrimp from Gulf shrimp, farm raised shrimp, imported shrimp to coldwater shrimp. You’ll also notice shrimp with brown, white and pink shells and some with strips on the shells (tiger shrimp).

The flavor of shrimp along with its texture varies depending on the water it comes from and what the shrimp eats. Wild shrimp feed on seaweed and crustaceans which gives it a more enriched flavor and thicker shells. Their ability to swim freely makes the meat firmer.

 Tiger Shrimp is mainly grown in Asian countries. There is also a blue shade of tiger shrimp, and they are this colour because they are fed food that does not contain iron. The moisture in Tiger Shrimp is higher than white, brown or pink, so you will notice they shrink when cooking them, to avoid this slightly undercook them. They are mild in flavor, so it is best to cook them in a method that adds flavor to them, for example, grilling or in a dish that has a sauce.

Cold Water Shrimp is another shrimp that is caught wild. They are from the waters of Greenland, Norway, Iceland and the coast waters of Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Maine. Cold Water shrimp is commonly referred to as salad, pink, bay, tiny, cooked/peeled and baby. They are sweet in flavor.

And finally, farm raised White Shrimp come from Mexico, Ecuador, China, and India and are sent primarily to the U.S. The shell is thinner than wild caught shrimp. This type of shrimp is milder in flavor and sometimes less firm because of the environment it’s raised in. This type of shrimp requires less cooking time.

It’s very important to know that shrimp is highly perishable. Be very selective when buying shrimp, for instance, choose firm shrimp with a mild scent. If there is any hint of aroma of ammonia, this tells you the shrimp is not good. If the shrimp has spots, it is an indication of poor handling. Fresh shrimp has an almost translucent flesh.

Storing your shrimp - cooked shrimp can be stored in a sealed bag no more than 3 days in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Both cooked and raw shrimp may be frozen. Raw frozen shrimp will be good for 6 months in the freezer and frozen cooked shrimp should be eaten within 2 months.

Frozen shrimp should be thawed in the refrigerator in advance of preparation. They can be added frozen to casseroles and baked dishes. If you need to quickly thaw, try putting the shrimp under cold water, not warm. Warm water actually starts the cooking process.