# Shrimp shells...when do you eat them? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 4, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040 "2021-08-04T18:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/1 "2021-08-04T18:33:47Z")
I have seen it said that in some shrimp dishes you can/should eat the shells. What dishes are those? Seems madness to me. In my mind, shrimp shells are up there with eating finger nails. Is this ever a worthwhile thing to do or just peel the shrimp and enjoy? Is there a way to know if you are meant to eat the shells in your shrimp dish without being told? ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/2 "2021-08-04T18:59:13Z")
I think I’m an outlier, but I pretty much always eat them. For me, it gives a satisfying crunch, like meaty potato chips. Especially if they’re seasoned. But I Am NOT A Foodie, so I definitely wouldn’t say when you’re “supposed” to eat them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/3 "2021-08-04T19:01:42Z")
I use them to make seafood stock, but stop short of eating them. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/4 "2021-08-04T19:02:16Z")
Making stock I can totally get behind. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/5 "2021-08-04T19:16:31Z")
When I was 21, old enough to get into trouble but still very young and naive, I was at a bar that served complimentary “peel and eat” shrimp for Happy Hour. Except I missed, and nobody told me, the “peel and…” part. Crunching on the shrimp, shell and all, trying to chew it thoroughly enough to safely swallow it, I thought “who enjoys this?” Nowadays the closest I get to eating the shells is when, like @Chefguy, I make stock of them. Incidentally, I used to listen to Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s StarTalk podast and he mentioned once that he sometimes ate shrimp shell and all, so there ya go. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/6 "2021-08-04T19:18:34Z")
Am I mistaken that there are shrimp dishes where you are meant to eat the shell? Maybe Neil DeGrasse Tyson was confused too. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/7 "2021-08-04T19:24:44Z")
I believe in Asian countries where the shrimp is fried the shells are meant to be eaten. According to this article, you _ **should** _ eat the shells (as long as they are coated in corn starch and deep-fried): > **[Why You Should Eat Those Shrimp Shells](https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/eating-shrimp-shells-recipes-tips-article)** > > Crunch, crunch, crunch. No thank you. One personal pet peeve is dishes like fancy shrimp pasta you get in a restaurant where they leave the tails on because it looks nice, and I have to get my fingers all saucy pulling them off. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/8 "2021-08-04T19:39:23Z")
I was in Spain with my (now ex) wife and we ordered peel and eat shrimp. We were delivered a huge plate of shrimp that were steaming hot. You could not touch them to peel them. So, we sat there with the plate in front of us waiting for it to cool down. We didn’t mind so much because we had drinks but it was a stupid restaurant experience. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/9 "2021-08-04T19:45:10Z")
Maybe Spaniards eventually develop strong finger callouses. Maybe that’s why they do all that Flamenco guitar playing-- it’s just prep to build up callouses to be able to peel and eat steaming hot shrimp. ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/10 "2021-08-04T19:45:39Z")
> [@solost](#): > > One personal pet peeve is dishes like fancy shrimp pasta you get in a restaurant where they leave the tails on because it looks nice, and I have to get my fingers all saucy pulling them off. Ugh, I _hate_ that. It gets to the point where I don’t order shrimp pasta. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/11 "2021-08-04T19:48:54Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I use them to make seafood stock, but stop short of eating them. Me too. Our dog would snag the shell if I dropped one though. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/12 "2021-08-04T19:49:45Z")
Fun fact: Vibrio cholerae, which can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, attaches to the chitin in shrimp shells. So maybe eating the shells, especially if you’re not sure if the shrimp was cooked sufficiently, isn’t the greatest idea. > **[Notes from the Field: Vibrio cholerae Serogroup O1...](https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/66/wr/mm6636a6.htm)** > > On August 20, 2016, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) was notified of a case of Vibrio cholerae infection. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/13 "2021-08-04T20:21:13Z")
> [@solost](#): > > I believe in Asian countries where the shrimp is fried the shells are meant to be eaten. According to this article, you _ **should** _ eat the shells (as long as they are coated in corn starch and deep-fried): Salt-and-pepper shrimp (as shown in the photograph in the article) is the one case where I eat some of the shrimp shell. The coating just tastes so good… ---
**Author:** ![LauderdaleFort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/977dab/32.png) [@LauderdaleFort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LauderdaleFort)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/14 "2021-08-04T20:48:44Z")
The are soft-shell shrimp, who’ve just molten and the shells are edible and not crunchy. Same with crab [[RECIPE] Fried Soft-Shell Shrimp | Wisconsin Public Radio](https://www.wpr.org/recipe-fried-soft-shell-shrimp#:~:text=Soft%2Dshell%20shrimp%20are%20a,shells%2C%20heads%2C%20and%20all). ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/15 "2021-08-04T20:51:20Z")
Soft shell crab is a whole other question for me. I’ve only had it a few times and it seemed like chewing leather. Not pleasant at all. There’s the tasty meat inside. Why do I want the tough skin? ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/16 "2021-08-04T21:02:21Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > I was in Spain with my (now ex) wife and we ordered peel and eat shrimp. We were delivered a huge plate of shrimp that were steaming hot. You could not touch them to peel them. So, we sat there with the plate in front of us waiting for it to cool down. I’ve had this as a cold appetizer with cocktail sauce but hot? Was this served as a main course? ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/17 "2021-08-04T21:15:52Z")
Yup…main course. Came out steaming hot. It was a surprisingly huge plate of shrimp too. Like…two dozen. A lot of shrimp. Way too hot for me or my wife to touch though (we tried). This was around 20 years ago. Things may be different now. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_the_turtle/32/2926_2.png) [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_the_Turtle)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/18 "2021-08-04T21:18:51Z")
I’m from Maryland and steamed shrimp is right up there with steamed crabs. You steam the shrimp with the shells on to keep them moist, and the Old Bay gets steamed on the shells. If you peel the shrimp first the ratio of Old Bay to shrimp gets thrown off. The perfect amount of Old bay is the amount you get on your fingers while peeling the shrimp. Fresh from the steamer can be a little tricky trying to peel w/out burning your fingers, but one or two into it they are cool enough. I’ve never heard of shrimp cocktail with the peels on - well just the tails, yeah. Once in Morocco I had a dish with shrimp in it where you were meant to eat the shells. The shells were much thinner than normal and seasoned/fried as mentioned above. The was a lady from Italy on that trip that insisted on peeling them, even after we showed her the shells could be eaten. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/19 "2021-08-04T23:35:01Z")
> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#): > > I’m from Maryland and steamed shrimp is right up there with steamed crabs. We used to go to the fish market in WDC back in 90s before it got so big. The steamed shrimp with Old Bay was wonderful. You’d stand at one of the tables and peel/eat to your heart’s content. ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [August 4, 2021, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040/20 "2021-08-04T23:39:17Z")
In answer to the OP: never. Do you eat shrimp _heads_? I haven’t. Yet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shrimp-shells-when-do-you-eat-them/948040.md?page=2)