Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. Shrimp are an important food source for larger animals from fish to whales. Together with prawns, shrimp are widely caught and farmed for human consumption.
Shrimp and prawns are versatile ingredients, and are often used as an accompaniment to fried rice. Common methods of preparation include baking, boiling, and frying. Recipes using shrimp form part of the cuisine of many cultures. Wet shrimp is commonly used as a flavouring and as a soup base in Asian cuisines (such as Thai tom yum goong) while fried shrimp is popular in North America.
As with other seafood, shrimp is high in calcium, iodine and protein but low in food energy. A shrimp-based meal is also a significant source of cholesterol, from 122 mg to 251 mg per 100 g of shrimp, depending on the method of preparation Shrimp consumption, however, is considered healthy for the circulatory system because the lack of significant levels of saturated fat in shrimp means that the high cholesterol content in shrimp actually improves the ratio of LDL to HDL cholesterol and lowers triglycerides.
You can find authentic Thai Shrimp Food on many Thai Restaurants in Los Angeles.
