Are Shrimp Tails Edible? If you often eat seafood such as shrimp, of course you have tried many types of shrimp in your dish. In general, shrimp tails are removed in various recipes, they only cook the shrimp without the tail and part of the shell is also removed especially if the shrimp has a large size. However, for some restaurants, keeping the root shrimp tail looks more natural and exotic.
If you find shrimp tails on your plate, you don’t need to hesitate about this. It’s a bit strange, but for those of you who want you don’t need to be afraid of the tail, the shrimp tail and the entire shell can actually be eaten, it’s just that this is your choice because the texture may be a bit hard and interfere with your chewing. For those of you who are not happy with the texture of the hard shrimp tail on large shrimp, then you can ignore it.
Wait.. ! But for some people this is considered something that should not be eaten so they peel it before cooking or remove the tail of the shrimp before using in recipes.
So, are shrimp tails really edible? Can this interfere with our health? Would you like to miss something tasty and delicious in your dish? Calm down, if you’re not sure are shrimp tails can be eaten? Please explore this article more deeply, we have presented information about shrimp tails for you.
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Are Shrimp Tails Edible?
Yes, if you want to eat shrimp tails, this is not a problem for you, it’s just a matter of taste and willpower not something to be afraid of in your food. But if you want to eat shrimp tails, there is a plus for you, because shrimp tails are the same as their shells which contain nutritional value as well as calcium. That’s why some restaurants keep shrimp tails from being thrown away, in addition to giving a classic and exotic impression, shrimp tails can also provide additional nutrition in dishes and dishes.
Chefs include shrimp tails in recipes not to be eaten, but to add sweetness to the dish and an exotic feel. But if you eat, this is okay, and you get additional nutritional value. Just like the cartilage in chicken, why not throw it away? Is this to eat? No, this is just for the better appearance of the food with its own aesthetic value. But some people take cartilage as a delicacy, and others don’t even touch it.
Shrimp tails have a hard texture on large shrimp, such as giant prawns or medium lobster prawns (large lobsters are of course not eaten with tails and shells because they are very rice). If the prawns are small, you can eat them easily without a hard taste with an unusual texture.
The Bigger the Shrimp, the Harder the Shell
As I said earlier, that large shrimp have a very hard shell and tail and this is difficult to eat. For those of you who order a dish with large shrimp, we do not recommend you to eat it, it can cause choking if you are not careful. But for those of you who want to chew it well, you can even eat a large shrimp tail. So, if you ask again “can you eat shrimp tails”, we will answer “it’s up to your choice”. For children should not eat, because the risk of choking is greater.
See more: Pompano Fish Facts and Health Benefits
While the shrimp tail is small, it is easy to chew and is not afraid of choking. But this again is really up to your preference. Shrimp tail and shell are made of “chitin”. It is a brittle and tough material on all types of shellfish and insects, and the shell acts as a formidable shield for the shrimp to protect itself from attack and impact.
So, looking at the function of the shell, this is not really something to eat, but if you eat it, it can be tolerated and again it’s up to you.
Tails are Usually Kept for Presentation
If the shells and tails of shrimp are hard to eat, even though they can be eaten, why are they still in many of your salads. Yes, this is presented only as a presentation, so that your food looks more beautiful and provides aesthetic value.
So, of course not all shrimp dishes in this world retain shrimp tails. Shrimp cocktails for example, or fried prawns and some seafood, the tail has been removed and no longer decorates your plate.
For some foods that are difficult to remove the shrimp tail, it is the chef’s habit to remove the shrimp tail before cooking it. For example dishes such as salads, paella, pasta, stir-fried potatoes and other similar foods. Usually the chefs remove the shrimp tails before cooking. But again, it’s up to them to remember that shrimp tail is not something that is dangerous to eat. Do they eliminate it or keep it as presentation value.
Tails are Also Useful when Deep Frying
If you fry shrimp, or want to enjoy fried shrimp, some chefs also defend it. You will find fried prawns complete with tails on your plate.
For fried shrimp dishes, sometimes the shrimp tail is also very useful, when you eat shrimp you can hold it by the tail so that it is easier for you to eat it. Think about it, if your prawns are coated with breadcrumbs and fried, these must be very crunchy and sometimes you want to eat them all up including the tail (crispy tail).
But some chefs don’t coat everything with breadcrumbs, they only coat the prawns and not the tail, this is so that you can easily hold the shrimp while enjoying your fried shrimp.
Those are some of the uses of shrimp tails that are not thrown away in your food. But for me I prefer shrimp tails that are kept, whether it’s for presentation or not, I like to eat them. It’s a little felt when chewing but this is good for adding to your nutritional value.
Leave the Shrimp Tails on for Flavor
Besides being fried with shrimp as a place to hold on when eating shrimp. There are other benefits of shrimp tails. This is especially for those of you who buy large shrimp for household and family consumption. You can set aside your shrimp tails, save and make these tails as a flavoring dish or you cook as shrimp broth.
As we said above that the tail of the shrimp consists of a substance “chitin” which has a lot of taste. You can boil it as a sweet and delicious shrimp broth.
So, instead of throwing away the shells and tails of the prawns, you should use the ekro as an ingredient for the shrimp broth that you use as a flavoring dish.
Save the Prawn Heads Too for Stock
Yes, apart from the tail, you can also set aside the prawn heads to make stock. Some people eat shrimp heads and claim that the true taste of shrimp lies in the heads. But some others just find it strange to eat shrimp heads because there are brains in there.
You can’t deny that a prawn head and tail stew is absolutely delicious and can actually make for an excellent broth. Just like making any broth, the bones, skin, connective tissue, cartilage are all brought together in the stew to produce the perfect broth. It’s also like this, all the shells, tails, legs of the prawns, and heads can make for an amazing bowl of broth if you put a little effort aside.
That’s our experience with shrimp tails. So for those who ask about whether shrimp tails can be eaten? We answer: this is very edible but it’s up to you because the texture is a bit hard to chew. But for those of you who want to take advantage of the many benefits of shrimp, you should only cook the shrimp meat, while the shrimp legs, head, tail and part of the shell can be boiled to produce an extraordinary broth and as a flavoring for your food.
