How to select high-quality shrimp

Time: 2025-07-15

When selecting shrimp, one must consider both external and internal factors. A well-rounded choice requires attention to both, much like carefully assessing a person, requiring experience and skill in judgment.

Selecting shrimp requires attention to both external and internal factors. A well-rounded choice, like carefully getting to know a person, requires experience and skill in judgment.

Freshly peeled and headed shrimp will have a light blue color, indicating freshness and quality.

Shrimp is a common ingredient in homes and restaurants. Many consumers and restaurants fall into the trap of assuming that shiny shrimp is good shrimp. Selecting shrimp is not that simple; there's a lot to learn.

A simple way to judge the quality of shrimp is by its appearance. High-quality shrimp is generally bluish-green with a network of veins, thicker at the front and tapering to a point at the back, in a hooked shape. Upon closer inspection, you may see traces of the intestinal tract (many shrimp have had their intestinal tracts removed, so this is not always visible). Inferior shrimp is whitish or yellowish, translucent, lacks a shrimpy smell, and may have an alkaline taste. High-quality shrimp turns red when cooked, is firm, does not shrink, releases little water, and has no foam. Inferior shrimp releases a lot of water when cooked, shrinks and becomes mushy, and releases foam.