The shrimp guide: sizes and choosing
Shrimp is the item people hesitate over most, because the name is one and the sizes are many and the price gap between them is wide. The idea is simple: big sizes are for grilling and for show, small sizes are for dishes where shrimp is an ingredient rather than the star.
The five sizes
We sell six sizes, each numbered by the count of pieces in a kilo the way traders number them: jumbo 8/12, jumbo 10/20, large 20/30, medium 30/40, medium-small 40/50 and small 50/60. The higher the number the smaller the piece, and the larger the piece the higher the price per kilo, because fewer pieces make up a kilo and demand for the big sizes is stronger.
What each size is for
Jumbo 8/12 is for charcoal grilling and gatherings, when you want the piece to show on the plate. Jumbo 10/20 is a touch smaller and better value, for the same charcoal work. Large 20/30 is for grilling and tagines, the middle choice that suits most people. Medium 30/40 is the ideal size for rice, pasta and soups. Medium-small 40/50 does the same job for less. Small 50/60 also goes into rice, tagines and soup, sweet in flavour at a friendlier price.
Weighed before peeling
Shrimp is weighed in the shell, which is the practice across the market. If you order it peeled, we peel it after weighing at a fixed peeling price per kilo shown before you add to the cart. Worth knowing: the weight naturally drops once peeled, so allow for that if your dish needs a specific peeled weight.
Signs of fresh shrimp
Fresh shrimp has a glossy shell that clings to the flesh, a head that stays firmly attached, and no blackening where the head meets the body. The smell should be a light sea smell. If the shell has gone soft or the head separates easily, it has been sitting.
Common questions
Which size is better value?
If the shrimp is going into rice, soup or pasta, medium and small give the same flavour for less, and the size will not show in the dish. You pay extra for jumbo and large for the look and the size on the grill, which makes sense when the shrimp is the dish itself.
Do I peel shrimp before or after grilling?
Leave the shell on over charcoal. It shields the flesh from drying and adds flavour, and you peel as you eat. If the shrimp is going into rice or a sauce, peeled from the start is better.
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