Prawns are a type of seafood that’s popular to eat. It’s nutritious and healthy to eat. Most of the time, prawns are cooked, broiled, or grilled. What if you want to eat prawns raw?
Yes, you can eat raw prawns, but only if it’s fresh and prepared properly. Seafood is a perishable food and goes bad very quickly. You should only eat them if they’ve been freshly caught or bought from a reputable shop that sells them fresh rather than frozen.
Is Raw Prawns Safe To Eat?
Raw prawns are safe to eat as long as they’re properly prepared. Prawns can harbor bacteria, so they shouldn’t be eaten raw.
If you eat raw prawns, there’s a risk of getting food poisoning from bacteria such as salmonella and E. coli. This can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. It may also lead to more serious complications if left untreated, so it’s important to get medical attention if you suspect you’ve eaten contaminated seafood.
The main risks associated with eating raw prawns include:
- Salmonella – causes diarrhea and abdominal cramps
- Campylobacter – causes diarrhea and vomiting
- Hepatitis A – causes fever, fatigue, and jaundice
Benefits Of Eating Raw Prawns
The health benefits of eating raw prawns are numerous. They contain a wide range of nutrients, including protein, vitamin B12 and selenium.
These tasty crustaceans have many health benefits, including:
Rich in protein. Prawns are high in protein, which is essential for building and repairing muscle tissue. Protein is also important for healthy skin and hair.
High in B vitamins. B vitamins are water-soluble vitamins that help release energy from carbohydrates, promote healthy skin, support the nervous system and maintain normal blood cells. B vitamins can be found in red meat, poultry, fish and seafood including prawns.
Good source of selenium. Selenium is an antioxidant mineral that helps fight free radicals in the body that cause cell damage leading to cancer and other serious diseases such as heart disease and diabetes mellitus (Type 2 diabetes). Selenium deficiency can cause a form of thyroid gland malfunction known as Keshan disease or endemic cardiomyopathy, which causes fatigue and heart failure in children living in areas where selenium levels are low due to soil contamination by cadmium and other heavy metals
What Do Raw Prawns Taste Like?
The taste of raw prawns is slightly sweet and a little salty. They are often described as tasting like a cross between shrimp and crab.
Cooking raw prawns will change their flavor significantly, so it’s important to know what they taste like in their natural state before you cook them.
How To Eat Raw Prawns
Prawns are a staple in many countries around the world. They are delicious, nutritious and versatile enough to be eaten raw or cooked. However, when you eat raw prawns, you need to make sure that they are fresh and clean.
Here’s how you can eat raw prawns:
Make sure the prawns are fresh. If you buy them from a store, look for ones that are bright orange and shiny. Avoid any that look dull or pale in color. If possible, don’t buy frozen prawns as they may not be fresh anymore.
Look out for any signs of spoilage such as discoloration or an unpleasant odor. You should also check if there is any dirt or sand on the shells of the prawns before purchase as this can indicate poor hygiene practices during production and transportation of these seafood items.
Rinse the prawns thoroughly under running water before consuming them raw.
Besides the above, there are many ways to eat raw prawns:
1. Sashimi. This is the most common way to eat raw prawns in Japan. Sashimi is simply sliced raw fish or seafood served without any other ingredients. It can be eaten as an appetizer or as a main dish.
2. Nigiri sushi (hand-pressed sushi). Nigiri sushi is a type of sushi where the seafood is placed over cooked rice and shaped into small rectangular blocks using two fingers of the chef’s hands. Nigiri sushi is usually served with soy sauce and wasabi on the side for dipping purposes.
3. Maki sushi (rolled sushi). Maki sushi consists of small rolls of rice topped with raw seafood, vegetables, or other fillings wrapped in nori seaweed and/or gari (pickled ginger root).
Conclusion
The answer is yes, you can eat raw prawns. While it’s true that cooking helps to make prawns easier to digest, you don’t need to cook them if you don’t want to — especially if you know how to prepare them properly beforehand.
As long as they’re prepared properly (more on this later), raw prawns are safe for most people to eat without any negative side effects or problems arising from eating them uncooked or undercooked.