Head on Black Tiger Shrimp
$11.49
Add additional flavor & presentation when you include shrimp heads!
FARMED PRODUCT OF THE PHILIPPINES
U12 SIZE
HEAD ON, SHELL ON
1 POUND PACKAGE
Flavor Profile
Black Tiger Shrimp, often referred to as Tiger Prawns, have a medium shrimp flavor and firm texture. Think of as the middle-man between White Shrimp and Wild Gulf or Mexican Shrimp. Don’t fear the shrimp head! Shrimp heads are a flavor and texture flavor bomb–crunchy, briny and full-bodied in shrimp flavor.
Tiger shrimp are traditionally selected over other varieties because of their traditionally large size and bright orange color when cooked. 16-20 is the most common size for Tiger shrimp, while White Shrimp average only 31-40.
Vietnam and India are the largest producers of Penaeus monodon, with lesser amounts coming out Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. Black Tiger Shrimp only account for 10-15% of global aquaculture shrimp, trending less than White Shrimp due to less efficient farming (larger shrimp take longer to grown, larvae harvests have lower survival rates).
Common Country of Origin(s): Vietnam, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
Shrimp Sizing
The numbers attached to the shrimp description are called the “count,” which represents the number of individual shrimp that make up one pound. For instance, “16-20” means there are between 16 and 20 shrimp in one pound. Most of our shrimp comes in two pound bags, so there would be 36 to 40 shrimp in a two pound bag.
If a single number is accompanied by a U, there are “under” that many shrimp in one pound. I.e. U15 shrimp have under 15 shrimp per pound. They can also be listed as a 13-15 count.
Finally, as the numbers decrease, the size of the shrimp increase. Our 350-500 shrimp are tiny salad shrimp and the 2-4 shrimp are our jumbos. Large shrimp are often referred to as Prawns.
Forms of Shrimp
Shrimp processing affects how the consumer is best able to prepare, cook, and serve shrimp. See the terminology below to determine what best fits your needs.
P&D Peeled & deveined, shell and vein (digestive track)removed. Tail on or off.
TAIL ON Headless, peeled & deveined shrimp in which the tail has not been removed.
TAIL OFF Headless, peeled & deveined shrimp in which the tail has been removed.
EZ PEEL Deveined with the shell on. Maintains moisture and flavor when grilling shrimp.
HEADLESS, SHELL ON Only the head has been removed, leaving the shell and tail attached
HEAD ON Head, shell and tail on
BUTTERFLIED The shell and digestive track have been removed and a deep cut has been made that “butterflies” the shrimp without splitting it in two pieces. Typically breaded shrimp.
**Product brands may vary from those pictured. We work with many trusted vendors so you continue to receive quality products at the right price.
Cooking Tips & Recipes
Cooking shrimp with the head on is fairly similar to cooking just the tails. We do recommend carefully rinsing your head on shrimp to remove any debris stuck in the shell and head joint.
Heat a pot of oil with a moderate smoke point (canola, peanut, vegetable) over medium to medium-hight heat.
Coat shrimp in a little cornstarch, salt, and pepper (maybe add some cayenne as well). This coating should be light–it’s just helping crisp the shrimp exterior.
Fry shrimp for 2-3 minutes, or until the head and tail point in the same direction (forms a ‘U’ or magnet shape), the tail is pink/orange and the head is bright red.
Remove from oil and allow excess oil to drain on a paper towel.
Enjoy!
