Trudy Smith Family and Consumer Education Agent Duplin County Center NC Cooperative Extension Freshwater Shrimp Quality- Nutrition- Versatility

Quality of Freshwater Shrimp Guaranteed freshness Clean taste Low iodine content Locally produced Uniqueness of product High quality texture and flavor Aquaculture methods are assuring a sustainable, chemical free product, produced in an all natural environment Locally, the supply of freshwater shrimp has not kept up with demand. Previous harvests have sold out within a matter of weeks.

Nutrition They taste great! Low in fat, sodium and calories High in vitamins A, B6, B12, biotin and niacin. A good source of calcium, phosphorus, iron and protein. A 3.5 ounce serving provides about one-half of 300 mg daily limit for cholesterol and has not been shown to raise blood cholesterol levels. Method of preparation dictates "health" of any food.

Product Attributes The Giant Malaysian Prawn is exotic and appealing to cooks who want “something unique” More than 80% of the product harvested is either “large” (12-14 per pound, whole) or “Jumbo” (8-10 per pound, whole) Texture is firm, similar to lobster Flavor is sweet; a taste mixture similar to crab, lobster, marine shrimp, and crawfish Contains little or no iodine, the component in marine shrimp that triggers most shellfish allergies

Product Forms Whole fresh on ice, pond-side Frozen whole, block Tails only, frozen Quality of taste and texture will remain superior in frozen product for 8-12 months. Texture is actually improved in frozen product in many cases.

Product Acceptance In eastern NC, more than 95% of customer comments have been very positive. Five-star chefs from RTP gave rave reviews after preparing, tasting and serving the shrimp. San Francisco- based TV chef, the Wok Wiz, said, “This prawn is superb for Chinese cooking, it makes the best ‘shrimp’ broth I’ve ever used.”