For many people worldwide, seafood like shrimp is an important part of their diet due to the several health benefits they provide. However, some people often wonder whether or not they can eat sand shrimp.
Yes, you can eat sand shrimp. It’s best to soak or par-boil the shrimp in white wine and roll it in flour before frying them whole. Doing this makes it crunchy and tasty.
Like most shrimps, sand shrimp have a great deal of nutritional value which include protein, calcium, and fat. They also contain little traces of magnesium, antioxidants, and vitamins. These nutrients, known to few, leave them wondering how to consume sand shrimps and even store them.
So, let’s take a look at how they’re consumed, stored, and fare against other shrimps.
What kind of shrimp live in the sand?
Several types of shrimps can be called sand shrimps; they include Crangon affinis, Crangon crangon, Crangon septemspinosa, and Metapenaeus ensis. Also called ghost shrimps, sand shrimps live in the sand and are commonly used as bait in freshwater for different types of fish like steelhead and salmon.
Sand shrimps have heavy and stout bodies tapering into narrow tails. Common shrimp (Cragnon Cragnon) are usually found along the North coast sea, live in shallow waters, and feed on animal materials and dead vegetables. They are light gray or nearly transparent; as such, they usually dig themselves in the sand. This makes it hard for predators to find them.
Sand shrimps are nocturnal and stay hidden in the sand or under a stone during the daytime. They can be identified by specific characteristics that they have adapted to, like the color of their skin, which is usually similar to sand.
Learn More: Can You Eat Shrimp Shells? (And Three Ways to Cook Them Right)
Are sand shrimps better than other shrimps?
Sand shrimps might not be the tastiest shrimps out there, but they are better than some others because they provide a unique taste since they can absorb flavors from seasoning. As a result, they are pretty delicious and crunchy to eat when prepared. In addition, their small size makes them suitable for stir-frying, pan-frying, roasting, and poaching.
Sand shrimps have a natural and wild sweetness. The flavors are further accentuated when boiled since they will soak up the seasonings and sauces nicely. Sand shrimps are one of the most popular types of seafood, but what differentiates sand shrimps from other shrimps is your mode of preparation. The preparation mode can bring about different tastes.
Final thoughts
Since sand shrimps are commonly associated with baits, most people ask, can you eat sand shrimp? Generally, shrimps have been one of the most common types of seafood dish for people globally because they contain certain essential nutrients, and sand shrimps are no exception.
So, despite people commonly associating sand shrimps with baits, they can be delicious when prepared since they are juicy and soft.
Sand shrimps are commonly fried to make them crunchy and tasty, and depending on your preparation mode, you can wrap them in flour or eggs before they are fried, while some prefer to par-boil them first.
When eaten, you would experience a crunchy feeling with a center juice that reportedly tastes like crawdads and marine shrimp. Sand shrimp are also commonly used as flavorings in other dishes. They might not be the best shrimp to eat, but they have their peculiar taste and flavor.
