Are shrimp heads eddible?

[DCal430]

I went to seafood boil restaurant and one of the items we had was boiled Cajun shrimp. The shrimp still had its head on it, I ended up removing the heads and throwing them away, but it seemed kind of wasteful. So I was wondering if it was actually edible. Can you actually eat boiled shrimp heads?

 

[Skeeedunt]

You're supposed to suck the brains out.

 

[phucheneh]

The head is supposed to provide extra flavor. I don't think you eat it. (...obvious TWSS)

Isn't the 'suck the brains out' thing for crayfish?

 

[Udgnim]

boiled, I guess you could eat it but I wouldn't unless you got a thing for shrimp shell

fried, a lot of people will eat the head

 

[DCal430]

I did try to suck the head out for the crayfish.

 

[irishScott]

Depending on how it's prepared, sure. Provided you chew up/crush the shell it's actually a decent source of calcium.

Whether it tastes good is another matter.

 

[Andrewebyy]

I wouldn't eat it, I would do just like you did.

 

[Terabyte]

I don't like to eat shrimp heads, but my family does. We're Asian, if that matters

 

[Arkaign]

Although I personally wouldn't eat them, I don't think it's unsafe or anything at all.

Edible, yes.

Should you? Depends on your preferences, I guess.

Haha If I was in a concentration camp or something a la Dachau or whatever, I would probably eat bugs if they were available. Food is food when you truly are in need of sustenance.

 

[Terabyte]

If it's fried shrimp, I'll eat the tails of the shrimp

 

[Pocatello]

Suck the brain out, just do it like a zombie.

 

[Slammy1]

Shrimp heads shrimp heads
Roly poly shrimp heads
Shrimp heads shrimp heads
eat them up, yum!

 

[SheHateMe]

I once heard from a friend in Hong Kong that "Asians will eat everything but the table"

 

[Bacstar]

I don't like to eat shrimp heads, but my family does. We're Asian, if that matters

Same here...grosses me out when the older generation of my family does it.

 

[DCal430]

I once heard from a friend in Hong Kong that "Asians will eat everything but the table"

True, I have seen family members eat whole live shrimp. There was even a Japanese or Korean place here that serviced whole live shrimp for people to eat, it stopped after they realized how barbaric it was.

 

[Farang]

Yes, in Asia they fry them heads on (I found out the hard way). It definitely makes them more flavorful, but it grossed me out and the flavor was more bad fishy than good fishy

 

[spaceman]

some would say it it goes down and dun come back up, its edible

 

[Tsavo]

The shrimp still had its head on it, I ended up removing the heads and throwing them away, but it seemed kind of wasteful.

Why would it be wasteful? The shrimp no longer had a need for it.

 

[PottedMeat]

i won't eat the shells or the head, they feel like popcorn hulls stuck in my teeth. if i'm preparing the food though i'll take the shells & head for broth.

 

[fuzzybabybunny]

The heads are edible. Whenever I eat shrimp I eat everything.

Tail, shell, and head. The head can be very flavorful, especially the red stuff inside. The shells provide good calcium. You just have to be careful of the long sharp snipe at the tip of the head, but it doesn't bother me.

Deep fried shrimp are easiest to eat. Boiled shrimp of certain species can sometimes have shells that are too hard, so I discard those. Any others are fair game.

The texture is something that I'm simply used to.

My parents grew up in a time of severe famine and they raised me not to waste food. I eat shells, cartilage, gristle, offal, bones, etc. Basically anything I can chew without harming myself. All good nutrition.

 

[BrokenVisage]

I don't eat shrimp.

 

[IronWing]

I don't eat shrimp.

+10 wisdom points

 

[AmdEmAll]

I prefer to just pick the poop vain out and eat that.

 

[olds]

Was it "Faces of Death" where they had a live monkey head sticking up through the table?

 

[Mixolydian]

I don't eat shrimp.

Why the fuck not??