Langostino

Scientific name:  Pleuroncodes monodon
Market name:  Langostino
Common names:  Langostino, langostino Colorado

The Langostino Story

There are several species of langostino, but the one most commonly marketed is Pleuroncodes monodon, a small, lobster-like crustacean found in the cold, deep waters off the coast of Chile, where it is known as langostino Colorado. The langostino is actually a member of the crab family Galatheidae. Ranging from 4 to 5 inches in length, the crustacean looks like a short, crinkled crawfish but brandishes a pair of front pincers longer than its body. However, it is seldom seen whole in the marketplace, since it is most often sold in the United States as frozen, cooked tail meat, either in the shell or peeled. Langostinos are caught by trawlers and landed alive for processing. After a near-collapse of the fishery in the early 1980s, the Chilean government now strictly controls the harvest to ensure maximum sustainable yield.

Product Profile

Langostino looks like cooked shrimp meat but has a sweet, delicate flavor more like lobster or crab. The texture resembles shrimp more than lobster tail meat.

The edible morsel of meat in the langostino is found in its inch-long tail. Meat sizes range from 100- to 200-count per pound.

You Should Know...

Because of its name, the langostino is often confused with the unrelated lobsterette or langoustine of Europe, which is also called Norway lobster and Dublin Bay prawn.

Nutrition Facts

Serving size: 100g/3.5 oz. (raw)
Amount per serving
Calories 71
Fat Calories   0
Total Fat 0 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Cholesterol 143 mg
Sodium 500 mg
Protein 17 g
Omega-3 N/A

Cooking Tips

The pre-cooked langostino meats offer convenience and no waste. They are an ideal size for salads, stuffings, soups, seafood sauces or pizza and can be sautéed or stir-fried to serve over pasta. Langostino tail meat can be used in recipes calling for cooked crab, lobster or shrimp.

Substitutions: Lobster, Crab, Shrimp

Cooking Methods

Bake, Fry, Sauté

Primary Product Forms

Frozen

• IQF cooked tails
• Pasteurized, cooked tail bars (small “blocks”)

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