Lobster, Shrimp and Prawns: How are they different

When it comes to seafood, lobsters, shrimps and prawns look the most similar. For people who don’t eat seafood regularly, differentiating between them might be a task. If you too find it difficult to distinguish between lobster, shrimp and prawns, this article will help. Read on to know what’s the difference, along with the right way to cook them.

Lobsters have long bodies with muscular tails, five pairs of legs and are usually red and brown in colour. Shrimps on the other hand have a U-shape and are usually yellow, orange and brown in colour. Prawns have an elongated body along with ten legs. Prawns are very similar to shrimps but can be differentiated on closer examination of their external features.

The size of lobster is biggest, then comes prawns and shrimps are the smallest. Shrimps can live in freshwater, prawns are found in both fresh and saltwater, while lobsters live in saltwater and brackish water but not fresh water. Shrimps and prawns are swimmers while lobsters are crawling or walking crustaceans.

Prawns have three pairs of claw-like legs, while shrimp have only one pair. While shrimps can bend their bodies sharply, prawns can’t and have comparatively straighther appearance.

Lobsters- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1 tablespoon of salt per litre of water. Place the lobsters into the boiling water and cook for 10 minutes or until shells are bright red and the meat is cooked through.

Shrimp- Keep shrimp in ice water until you are ready to cook them. Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel before cooking and leave the shell on while boiling or steaming them. While pan-frying shrimps, cook for just 2-3 minutes and the shrimps will be ready.

Prawns- If you want to boil them, drop into boiling water with salt and juice of a lemon and cook for 4-5 minutes until pink then drain well. In order to stir-fry prawns, just cook them for 5 minutes in wok with butter, garlic and seasoning.