Dried shrimp is a popular ingredient in Asian and Latin American cuisine, traditionally preserved through sun-drying. Today, most commercial producers use special drying chambers and add preservatives to maintain color and taste. Dried shrimp can be used as a seasoning agent, in broths, or as a snack.
Dried shrimp is a type of dehydrated fish most popular in Asian and Latin American cuisine. Shrimps are small crustaceans that live on the ocean floor in many of the world’s shallow, often tropical waters. They are usually harvested seasonally and drying is a good way to preserve them for year round. Most dried shrimp is first cooked, then dried, such that the dried product is ready to eat or use right away.
People in shrimp-rich regions of the world have been catching, harvesting, and preserving the shellfish for centuries. In ancient times, drying was one of the only ways to preserve shrimp for any length of time. Today, widespread access to freezers and long-term refrigeration make it easier to keep shrimp fresh. Many traditional recipes still call for dried shrimp, and the food remains popular in many parts of the world.
The sun was the only drying agent used in traditional crayfish preservation. Once collected, the prawns were usually boiled in very salty water, then placed on boards to dry in the sun. Shrimp farmers usually paid particular attention to rotation to ensure uniform dryness and often erected screens or guards in the ward from birds or other predators. In the intense heat of many regions of Central America and Southeast Asia, drying was often complete in a day or two.
Some farmers still use sun-drying techniques to prepare dehydrated foods such as shrimp, but most have adopted more precise drying processes. Commercial producers of dried shrimp often place cooked shrimp in special drying chambers, where the temperature and humidity are carefully monitored. Many of these chambers also have shaking capabilities, so the shrimp can be mechanically divested of the head and tail, which are generally seen as inedible.
Most often, the prawns are boiled in salted broth or otherwise seasoned before drying. Some commercial producers also add chemical preservatives to maintain the color and taste of the shrimp. However, even heavily scaled shrimp is not generally considered a processed food. As long as they reach the market as shrimp, they can be marketed as such in most places.
Dried shrimp do not need refrigeration and are non-perishable foods. In commercial settings, they are usually sealed in plastic and shipped to their target market. Locally, they are often sold directly by farmers and packed by weight in paper bags on site.
There are many uses for dried shrimp. In most cases, shrimp are very small; as with many dehydrated foods, they shrink during dehydration, losing up to half their size when fresh. Their flavor is therefore very concentrated. Shrimp are, for this reason, particularly popular as a seasoning agent in a myriad of stock and bouillon recipes. Cooks often toss a few dried shrimp onto the plates as they simmer.
Crayfish usually reconstitute once in the water. One of the simplest ways to prepare shrimp broth, an essential ingredient for many dishes, particularly throughout Asia, is to boil a handful of dried shrimp in water. The shrimp themselves can be used elsewhere in the meal or discarded.
Eating these shrimp as a snack is also popular in many cultures. The finished product has a crunchy, salty taste that many find pleasant. As dry snacks, shrimp are eaten like popcorn, chips or crackers. They can also be tossed with pasta dishes or salads for added texture and crunch.
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