When Last You Had Some Guyanese Prawns Curry? – Learn 7 Health Benefits of this Eating Seafood

In Guyana, Prawns are considered to be a delicacy. Slightly larger than shrimps, they make a scrumptious mouthful when paired with rice and veggies. Prawns can be curried or sauteed but can be added to foods like fried rice and chowmein. There are four main species of Prawns that are caught by trawlers in Guyana. Prawns are sold in supermarkets but you can also find them at local wet markets and fisheries.

Prawns Curry

What are Prawns?

Prawn is a genus of crustacean that resembles shrimp but are typically larger. The words “shrimp” and “prawn” are interchangeably but they are not the same. Prawns live is freshwater while shrimps are prone to living in saltwater. Prawns fall under the suborder Dendrobranchiata and are part of the genus Penaeus. There are four main species of Prawns caught in Guyana; the Penaeus brasiliensis, Penaeus notialis, Panaeus (Litopenaeus) schmitti and Penaeus subtilis. There are different sizes of prawns starting with the largest called Jumbo Prawns, followed by Super Large Prawns, Large Prawns and Medium Prawns.

Prawns in Guyana

Varieties of Prawns

• Jumbo tiger prawns – These are the very large, juicy prawns. Jumbo prawns are especially mouthwatering when barbequed.
• Langoustine – These are used to make a dish called scampi. When roasted the shell heightens the flavour of this seafood.
• Wild carabineros prawns – These are sought-after because of their vibrant red colour even and robust taste.
• Wild Argentinian prawns – With pretty pink colours, these prawns hide plenty of meat in its shell.
• Cocktail Prawns Larger than the average cocktail prawns, they go really well in prawn toast or Asian dumplings.
• Gambero rosso prawns – These are deep water prawns with soft, delicate flesh and one you cannot find on supermarket shelves.
• Brown Shrimp – Brown shrimp are small and sweet.
• Jumbo wild spot prawns – Special because of their wild spots and are relatively new on shelves.
• Easy Peel Prawns – As the name suggests, they are easily peeled and tastes wonderful!
• Mantis shrimp – This shrimp has a hard shell that has to be cracked to eat its firm flesh.
• Crevettes  This is an entire prawn, suitable for picnics, or platters and sweeter than tiger prawns.
• Tiger Prawns -These go great in curries and barbecues. Shells can even be made into soup or stock.

Interesting Tip

• Prawns are also known as langostino which is the Spanish word for prawns.

Health Benefits Of Prawns

1. Packed with Vitamins and Minerals –  Prawns are a well of nutrients. the provide us with an abundance of Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Vitamins B1, B2 and B3. They also contain calcium, copper, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus.
2. Great Source of Fatty Acids – Polyunsaturated fatty acids including omega-3, that helps to lower risk of heart attack is found in this seafood. The fatty acids in Prawn may also help to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s disease.
3. Promotes Fat Reduction – Adding prawns to your diet provides you with a lot of proteins while containing little amounts of carbohydrates and fat.
4. Builds Muscle – Prawns contains a lot of protein which is required for the building and repair of muscles.
5. Strengthens Bones – Calcium is an essential nutrient for the human body in building strong bones and can be found in Prawns. When eaten regularly, prawns provide the appropriate amount of calcium required for the body.
6. Helps to Prevent Cancer – Prawns is one of the foods that helps in preventing cancer. This is because it contains a substance called selenium which prevents the growth of cancer cells.
7. Contains antioxidants – The antioxidants found in Prawns help to improve skin health, by providing adequate nourishment.

Cooking Prawns In Guyana

Bounjal Prawns Curry

Ingredients

• 12 ozs. prawns
• 1 ½ tsp curry powder
• 6 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp garam masala
• ½ onion
• 1 tomato
• pepper
• 1 tsp roasted ground geera (cumin)
• salt
• 1 stem eschalot

Method

1. Clean and wash shrimp.
2.  Mash or blend garlic and pepper.
3. Chop onions, tomato and eschalot.
4. Mix curry powder, cumin, masala, garlic and pepper and make into a paste by adding some water.
5. Put a pan on a lit stove and heat some oil.
6. Fry or sautee chopped onions and eschalots.
7. Add curry paste and tomatoes to the pan.
8. Cook for a few minutes.
9. Add Prawns and salt, ensuring each is well coated with the curry paste.
10. Let it cook for about three (3) minutes.
11. Add some water and let simmer.
12. Remove from heat and serve with rice or roti.

Curried Prawns – Photo by: By Geoff Peters from Vancouver, BC, Canada – curry prawns, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=80212244

Cooking Prawns in Guyana

Prawns are a great substitute for chicken or meats. Prawns curry or curried Prawns is a simple Guyanese dish, packed with our local flavours. If you are looking to experiment with seafood, prawns are a great choice for your next meal!

Article Reference

• http://guyana-seafoods.com/wp/portfolio/prawns/
• http://www.fao.org/fishery/docs/DOCUMENT/fcp/en/FI_CP_GY.pdf
• https://a-z-animals.com/animals/prawn/
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penaeus
• https://www.livestrong.com/article/485658-the-effects-of-prawns-on-the-human-body/
• http://guyana-seafoods.com/wp/portfolio/prawns/
• https://www.realniceguyana.com/recipes/large-shrimp-curry/
• https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/are-prawns-good-you
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penaeus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prawn
• https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/prawn/

Last Updated: 2020-07-16