10 things you (probably) didn't know about prawns
14.03.2019
A prawn isn't just a prawn. Put your knowledge to the test with these 10 facts about prawns – how much do you know about these small tasty treats from the cold north?
- The term 'prawn' is a common name for a crustacean with an exoskeleton and 10 legs. The term covers more than 2000 different species and is typically divided into cold-water and warm-water prawns
- Royal Greenland's prawns are of the specie Pandalus Borealis, also known as cold-water prawns, deep-sea prawns or the northern prawn
- We catch our cold-water prawns when they are fully grown at 6-7 years old, compared to the warm-water prawns that only use 6 months to reach the appropriate catch size
- The Pandalus Borealis is always bright red – even when it is caught – unlike other species that are typically grey or brown when caught and only turn red when they are cooked
- Cold-water prawns have a high content of protein, a low content of fat (especially saturated fat) and very few calories per serving
- Cold-water prawns have a naturally high content of iodine and selenium
- Prawns are hermaphrodites. They are born as males and change sex to females. For the cold-water prawn the change occurs when they are 3-5 years old
- Most fish and shellfish have no sense of direction in the cold water, but the Pandalus Borealis prawn has a small soft otolith, that rolls around sensory sensors when the prawns swim in the water, providing a sense of direction
- The Pandalus Borealis prawn lives in icy waters near the seabed in soft and muddy environments at depths between 20 and 1400 meters
- It prefers chilling water temperatures between 0 and 8 degrees C (Brrrrr!)
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