When selecting items for a seafood feast, wild caught American shrimp are preferred among gourmet cooks. Shrimp are not only recognized for outstanding flavor but they can be a crucial part of a healthy diet.

Wild Yankee shrimp are delicious steamed, boiled, grilled, fried and in recipes such as scampi. they are favored as an appetizers such as shrimp cocktail, bisques and salads. They also freeze well and can be purchased in large numbers, processed and excess amounts frozen for later meals.

Shrimp are low fat and calories and have no carbohydrates or trans greasy acids. They contain vitamins B3, B6, B12, vitamin D and Omega-3 greasy acids and are sources of tryptophan, selenium, protein and minerals including iron, phosphorus, zinc and copper.

American species include white ( Litopenaeus setiferus ), brown ( Farfantepenaeus aztecus ), pink ( Penaeus duorarum ) and royal red (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus) rock (Sicyonia brevirostris) and Northern ( Pandalus borealis ).

Shrimp are sized by “count”. The number of specimens per pound. This is applicable to both whole and heads-off products. For instance, headless shrimp of 16/20 count means there are sixteen to 20 headless product per pound. Counts for headless product typically range between 16/20 ( large ) to 60/70 ( little ). Pacific pink shrimp are even smaller, having counts of about one hundred to 140 full shrimp per pound.

Wild Yankee shrimp are also a good choice in terms of the Yankee fisheries have been recognized for ethical cropping strategies.

The Wild Yankee Shrimp Certification Program certifies that warm-water, wild caught shrimp from U.S. Coastal waters meet a high standard of quality and consistency. Certified Wild American Shrimp receive special labeling. Collaboration in the certification program is available to harvesters, processors, distributors, outlets, greengrocers and restaurateurs.

Another Yankee fishery has received global recognition. Oregon’s pink shrimp fishery has earned the first sustainable shrimp certification under the Sea Stewardship Council ( MSC ) certification program.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), which runs the planet’s leading independent certification program for sustainable fisheries, and independent certifier TAVEL Certification Inc., awarded Oregon pink shrimp its certification on December 6, 2007. The action distinguishes Oregon’s pink shrimp trawl fishery as a sustainable and well-managed fishery. The Sea Stewardship Council certification also allows Oregon pink shrimp to be sold using the coveted blue MSC eco-label indicating a sustainable fishery.

The Marine Stewardship Council is a body that works to boost the healthiness of the planet’s seas and to assist in creating a sustainable global seafood market. MSC pursues its mission by certifying fisheries that meet its sustainable standards and developing market requirement for authorized seafood. The MSC model is predicated on customers rewarding sustainable fisheries by selecting seafood that originates from certified sustainable fisheries.

Pink shrimp, AKA bay or salad shrimp are little ( 100-140 entire per lb). They are harvested using sophisticated trawl techniques. Pink MSC authorized shrimp are delivered to shore for cooking, peeling and freezing, leading to an intensely fresh product of wonderful quality.

The variety of high quality, healthy and sustainable Yank shrimp makes them an excellent choice for seafood lovers.
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To get more recipes and cooking ideas, visit cooking101.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at how to make buffalo shrimp.