Scientific Name:
Penaeus monodon
Common Name:
Black tiger, giant tiger, jumbo tiger shrimp
Product Information:
Farmed black tiger shrimp have a mild, almost bland flavor compared to the pronounced taste of ocean-harvested Gulf shrimp. Cooked tiger’s meat is also softer than that of other shrimp species. Tigers have gray to black stripes on gray or bluish shells and associated stripes on the peeled meat. The cooked shell turns bright red. The white flesh is tinged with orange if cooked peeled and red if cooked in the shell.Meat should be slightly resilient and moist. Improper storage temperatures, refreezing or extended frozen storage can turn shrimp tough, dry and fibrous. A black spot on the shell indicates melanosis. It’s not a health issue in early stages but indicates general poor quality.
Product Forms:
Frozen: Whole, Blocks, IQF, Split, butterfly, fantail, Pieces Value-added: Breaded, Canned (small shrimp), Dried, Entrées
Substitutions:
Lobster tails, Crawfish, Other Penaeid shrimp
Cooking Tips:
Large tiger shrimp tails are excellent hors d’oeuvres in classic shrimp cocktails or grilled on skewers. They’re good with pasta or in casseroles, since they can withstand tossing with other ingredients. Their thick shells hold heat, so black tigers cook more quickly than the other Penaeids. Watch them closely; they toughen if overcooked. For maximum quality, eat tiger shrimp within two days of thawing, though they will last three to four days properly refrigerated.
Global Supply:
Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Madagascar, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
