Unique flavor, size let prawns stand on their own

People around the world may use the words “shrimp” and “prawn” interchangeably, but the prawn is very much its own animal. Whether you are talking about giant river prawns (Machrobrachium rosenbergii) from Malaysia, which are also farmed in the United States, or Western king prawns (Melicertus latisulcatus) from Australia or the New Caledonia blue prawns (Lipopenaeus stylirostris), these aren’t to be confused with the pink, white and brown shrimp that dominate the supermarket seafood department.

One prawn that has gotten some attention within the U.S. market is the freshwater blue prawn, says Mark Phillips, a salesperson for Prawn Corp. of America, based in Westwood, N.J.

Freshwater blue prawns thrived in Hawaii for many years, and Prawn Corp. has carried them for more than 25 years. But when Hawaii stopped supporting the industry by providing seed to farmers, “the industry pretty much went by the wayside,” he said.

Now Prawn Corp. gets its freshwater blues from farms in Central America and the Pacific Rim that raise the prawns in ponds or brackish water.

Click here to read the full story that ran in the April issue of SeaFood Business >