Italian name: Gambero rosso
Latin name: Aristeus antennatus
Fishing area:
• Ligurian Sea ( Santa Margherita Ligure is the most important fishing centre)
• Ionian Sea
• Sardinia
• Sicily
They can be found in large swarms on the seabed (about 200-1000 m deep). The fishermen use the bottom trawls to catch them. Every year there are about 200 tones of red shrimps fished.
Color: Their colour can be red or purple or even blue! (darker they are, tastier they become 😉
Meat: Their meat is very delicate, perfect to be eaten raw (with oil and salt … excellent). Can be eaten also with pasta and risotto, boiled or barbequed. The Ligurian chefs prepare them in fantastic ways.
Price: They are quite expensive … at a fish market cost about 45-50€/kg … in fish shops, it is more than 60€/kg.
Nutritional values: They are full of vitamins, minerals and carbs. However, they have a high level of cholesterol !!!
Curiosity: For Ligurian, an abdomen of a red shrimp is not the best part to eat. Many people claim that the best part is HEAD! After eating an abdomen they enjoy sucking the brain out of the shrimp. Also my husband does and thinks so !!! Well … from time to time I try it too … but I don’t know. Sucking the brain of any animal is still a little bit strange for me…
One thing is sure, if you visit Santa Margherita Ligure you should absolutely try them! You won’t be disappointed.
