crustaceans are generally sold to consumers either frozen, cooked, or alive Most “fresh” raw shrimp have been obtained frozen and thawed by the store Ask for a sniff of one, and don’t buy if you smell ammonia or other off-odors Cook them the same day The larger crustaceans, lobsters and crabs, are generally sold either precooked or alive Live crustaceans should come from a cleanlooking tank, and should be active They can be kept alive in a moist wrapping in the refrigerator for a day or two Relatively small lobsters and crabs will have finer muscle fibers and so a finer texture Traditional recipes often treat lobsters, crayfish, and crabs as if they were insensible to pain, calling for the cook either to cut them up or drop them in boiling water while they’re still alive These creatures don’t really have a central nervous system The “brain” in the head region receives input only from the antennae and eyes, and each body segment has its own nerve cluster, so it’s hard to know whether or how pain can be minimized The most sensible-sounding advice comes from marine biologists: anaesthetize the animal in iced salt water for 30 minutes just before cutting up or boiling Shrimps and Prawns Shrimp and prawns are the most commonly available shellfish in the world Their predominance stems from their delicious flavor, conveniently small size, rapid reproduction in the wild and in aquaculture, and the tolerance of their flesh to freezing The two terms are often used for the very same animals; in the United States, “prawn” usually means a larger variety of shrimp There are some 300 species of shrimp and close relatives exploited for food around the world, but the most common belong to one semitropical and tropical genus, Penaeus Species of Penaeus can mature in a year or less and grow as long as in/24 cm ... shrimp There are some 300 species of shrimp and close relatives exploited for food around the world, but the most common belong to one semitropical and tropical genus, Penaeus Species of Penaeus... wild and in aquaculture, and the tolerance of their flesh to freezing The two terms are often used for the very same animals; in the United States, “prawn” usually means a larger variety of shrimp... Shrimps and Prawns Shrimp and prawns are the most commonly available shellfish in the world Their predominance stems from their delicious flavor, conveniently small size, rapid reproduction in the