Shrimp on the Barbie?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Shrimp on the barbie? I used to think so, but apparently not.

[Sundae]

Wait, what?
Who was right, that's all I want to know,

[infinite monkey]

Us, as always.

[Sundae]

snicker

Actually we do eat shrimp as well.
Brown shrimp. Sold by volume.
Nomnomnom.

Good to know there actually is a difference.
About 15 years ago I had a serious disagreement with a good friend re whether different peppers were the same produce at different stages of ripeness. Guess which way I was arguing?
Oops.
We were both quite vehement and both quite drunk.

[richlevy]

Sounds like the lobster vs langostino issue. I guess the big difference is that if anything, prawns cost more than shrimp. Langostino are being substituted because they are a cheaper alternative.

Langostino is a Spanish word with different meanings in different areas. In the United States, it is commonly used in the restaurant trade to refer to the meat of the squat lobster, which is neither a true lobster nor a prawn. It is more closely related to porcelain crabs and hermit crabs.

In March 2006, Long John Silver's garnered controversy by offering buttered lobster bites advertising that they include "langostino lobster".[4] A Los Angeles Superior Court judge made no decisions in April 2006 on the matter when a class-action lawsuit was brought against Rubio's Restaurants, Inc., for selling "lobster burrito" and "lobster taco" that were in fact made with squat lobster.[1]

[ZenGum]

Well bugger me, eh?

How do they taste with coriander?

[BigV]

Like soap.

[chrisinhouston]

When we were in South Africa just about every restaurant sold dishes with prawns, they were categorized by size as King Prawns, Queen Prawns and sometimes Prince Prawns. The only time I've seen the term prawn in the USA was in Alaska where they have a short season for Spot Prawns.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by BigV

Like soap.

Before I developed an educated palate, I learned to appreciate good naan bread. I would say, wonderingly, "Well, it tastes a little bit like soap."

Now I have a more cultured palate, I have the same critiria; good naan bread can double as a duvet and despite the slick of ghee and garlic (my preference flavour-wise) the base still has a slightly soapy taste.

V! I thought I was the only one!

[Chocolatl]

Silly question: is there an official preparation or recipe for shrimp on the barbie, or does any shrimp that is grilled automatically bear this appellation?

[Aliantha]

I think you have to look pretty hard to get shrimp in Australia. We just mostly get prawns.

I can get some facts from the fish doctor if anyone wants. He can probably settle the argument fairly difinitively.

Unfortunately he's on a field trap traipsing around on mudflats for the next week or so, so it will have to wait.

[Sundae]

Please tell me mudflats are not a name for fish...

[ZenGum]

I've never actually cooked shrimp. Or prawns.

[Aliantha]

Sundae, mudflats are just the exposed low tidal areas. Often they're muddy, and they're flat, so they're called mudflats.

[Aliantha]

We cook prawns quite a lot. We always eat Australian farmed or wild caught though. Most of the imported product is stacked to the gills (pun intended) with chemicals - largely antibiotics. We don't eat them.

Better to support our own primary industries anyway, and personally, I think our product here has a much better flavour anyway.