Shrimp is a seafood delicacy throughout the world. There are several recipes to prepare the shrimps, and there are also several ways to eat them. Some people eat cocktail shrimp, others eat the shrimp dipped in sauce and some like fried shrimp. It doesn’t matter which shrimp recipe was used to prepare it, it will be delicious. But in most cases, people will remove the head instead of eating the whole shrimp. In this article, we will clear out all the questions about how healthy it is to eat the shrimp head and how to eat shrimp head on.
How To Eat Shrimp With Head On – Is It OK To Eat The Head Of a Shrimp?
You might have heard all kinds of stories. That you’ll get sick because the head of a shrimp is poisonous. Or that eating whole shrimp is messy and not pleasant to watch if you are eating them at a restaurant.
However, it’s perfectly fine to eat heads. Even with the exoskeleton, if they are fried. Eating heads is optional, but we suggest that you try it if you didn’t so far. Just gently snap the head off with either your mouth, fingers, or a spoon. We admit that it might look weird to someone who tends to peel the shrimps and eat them without shells. But health-wise, nothing bad will happen to you if you eat all of it. Antenna and eyes included!
Is Shrimp Head Poisonous?
People believe that the brain of the shrimp isn’t good for eating and that it may contain lead and mercury because of the places where a majority of the shrimp bought at the supermarket comes from.
That is not true at all. In fact, the somewhat bitter taste that some people report when they eat whole shrimp is actually the taste of the hepatopancreas. An organ that can be found in crabs and lobsters as well. That is an organ that resides within the body, not the head of a shrimp. Its purpose is to filter the blood of the animal and to create bile that makes food digestible for them.
Once you bite a head off, liquid from that organ is mixed together with the rest of the shrimp and that is what makes the consumption a bit odd at first, but after you get used to it, it will be like nothing you tasted before.
Remember that the Chinese eat them whole throughout the centuries and nothing happened to them. Additionally, some Japanese sushi restaurants are serving deep-fried heads as a special course.
How To Cook Shrimps With Their Heads Still On?
You can cook and eat shrimp the same way that you would do with prawns. They can be tossed in a wok with butter garlic with a pinch of salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You only need to fry them for 2 or 3 minutes on each side. Serve them on a plate with some salty rice and a sprinkle of fresh parsley. This dish is full of nutrition and it’s rather flavorful.
Another recipe with a distinct taste is shrimps fried in a pan. For this one, we recommend that your shrimps are de-shelled and that tail is removed. Leave the heads on! Once they are clean, toss them in a bowl full of cornstarch and make sure that you get a tick coating of it on every shrimp.
When you are happy with the coating, transfer them from the bowl to the pan with hot oil. Stir them for a couple of minutes from each side to get a tasty, crunchy bite for your family.
