Dried shrimp - types, production and more

Dried shrimp - types, production and more

Dried shrimp is a cooked and dried product processed from a variety of shrimp species.

Types - by size

Different types of dried shrimps are made from different types of shrimps, the processing methods are different, and they naturally look different. Mainly fall into two types named "shrimp rice" and "shrimp skin".

"shrimp rice"

"shrimp rice" in Chinese also named "sea rice" and "golden hook", is a cooked and dried product processed from a variety of shrimp species, usually made from medium-sized shrimp from all waters, after the heads and skin are removed. It is named "shrimp rice" because it is hard and shrinks in size after dried, which looks like rice" 

Common shrimp species used for dried "shrimp rice" include:

  • Trachypenaeus curvirostris

  • Palaemon carinicauda, or called ridgetail prawn

  • Metapenaeus joyneri

"shrimp skin"

"shrimp skin" is not really just the shell of a shrimp, it is because "shrimp skin" are produced from tiny shrimps, usually the genus Acetes. The shrimps are small, have less meat. When dried, they have the same color and looks like shrimp skin, so they are called "shrimp skin".

Dried shrimp stick

Larger shrimps can be used to produce dried shrimp sticks, usually the heads are cut and skin peeled.

Dried Sakura shrimp

The Sakura shrimp belong to the order Decapoda, family Stomachidae, and genus Brachiopterus. This shrimp gets its name from its red-spotted body, resembling cherry blossoms. It is found in Taiwan's Donggang area and Junwan Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The Sakura shrimp's nutritional and economic values were recognized as rich in calcium, phosphorus, protein, and other nutrients, though the calcium in its shells may not be easily absorbed by the human body.

Types - Raw and Cooked 

For "shrimp rice", it is the most common dried shrimp, it is cooked, dried and peeled.

For "shrimp skin", if named or described as "raw-sun-dried", it means the raw shrimps caught in the net are usually dried on the spot by cleaning fresh shrimps, spreading them flat on a mat, and exposing them to the sun until they are 90% dry and processed into dried shrimps. If dried shrimps are named or described as "cooked-sun-dried", it means its made by cooking them and drying them.

Differences between "raw-sun-dried" and "cooked-sun-dried"

Appearance

"raw-sun-dried" "shrimp skin" is generally long and slender without bending. On the other hand, because "cooked-sun-dried" is cooked in salt water or sea water and then sun-dried, the shrimp body is curved. When you hold a handful of "cooked-sun-dried" in your hand, it will feel moister than "raw-sun-dried" shrimps.

Nutrition

"raw-sun-dried" shrimp is made after being caught, cleaned and directly dried or sun-dried, therefore the calcium and other trace elements are minimal lost, and there is no food addictive added. When "cooked-sun-dried" shrimp is boiled in high-temperature water and then dried, most of the nutrients in the shrimp will be lost. Cooked shrimp is difficult to preserve and is prone to moisture and deterioration, so many businesses add preservatives and other substances to it. Therefore, in terms of nutritional value, "raw-sun-dried" shrimp is more nutritious.

Cooking

"raw-sun-dried" shrimp has high freshness and no salt is added. Generally, it can only be added when making cooked dishes. The "cooked-sun-dried" shrimp can be added directly to dishes or soups. However, regardless of the type of shrimp, for the sake of hygiene, it is recommended that you wash it several times with clean cold water before use to prevent fine sand or impurities in it. This can also prevent some cooked shrimp skin from being too salty.

Nutrition

Shrimp is a highly nutritious seafood product containing protein, fat, sugar, calcium, phosphorus, and iron. The red component on the skin and shells of dried shrimps, called astaxanthin, is the most nutritious part and acts as a powerful antioxidant. A fading of the red color indicates oxidation of astaxanthin.

How is it made?

For cooked shrimps, there are two main methods:
  • boiling method 
  • steaming method
Boiling method is a traditional processing method, which is commonly used. The processing method is as follows:

Raw material processing

Before boiling, the raw shrimp must be classified according to quality and size. Shrimps mixed with sand and dirt must be washed in clean water to remove small shrimps, small fish and other objects. In order to prevent the shrimp from sticking to the skin, soak the raw shrimp in cold water or ice water for about 30 minutes before cooking.

Boiling

Boil with clean drinking water. The weight ratio of water to raw materials is 4:1. Add 5% of the water weight of salt into the water. Boil the salt water first, then add the raw shrimp into the pot. Boil shrimp for about 5 minutes per pot. During the process of cooking shrimp, stir the shrimp ingredients in the same direction along the edge of the pot and remove the foam on the water surface. Take the shrimp out of the water. If the shrimp shell turns white quickly, it means it is cooked and can be taken out immediately. Add enough salt to each pot to maintain the consistency of the brine. After about 5 rounds of boiling, the salt water has become turbid and the water needs to be changed.

Drying

There are two ways to dry shrimps: sun drying or oven drying. Put the cooked shrimp into a basket, drain the water and dry them in the sun. In case of rainy weather, spread the shrimp indoors to air-dry, and do not stack them to avoid overheating inside the shrimp ingredients and deterioration. When drying, spread the shrimp on a straw mat or bamboo mat and turn it appropriately to dry it quickly and evenly. If possible, the cooked shrimps can be slightly cooled and spread evenly on the drying bamboo mat, and then pushed into the oven for drying. The temperature of the oven should be maintained at 70°C for 2 hours.

Shelling

Shelling can be done with a shrimp shelling machine or manually. The hand-peeled shrimps are bright in color, intact individually, and have a high yield. To deshell a small amount of dried shrimp, you can also put the shrimp into a sack, hold the sack with both hands and beat it on the cement floor to remove the shell of the shrimp.

Packaging

Sieve and grade the shelled shrimps, and package them according to the size and appearance quality of the shrimps. It can be packed quantitatively in small plastic bags, usually 500g or 1000g per bag, and finally packed into large cartons.
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