World production
Where are prawns sourced from?
What are the most popular prawn species?
In Australia, king and banana are the most typical wild-caught prawn species, whilst black tiger is the primary species harvested from farmed sources. Similar to most Australian seafood, both wild-caught and farmed prawn sectors have strong sustainability credentials. Bidfood also imports vannamei prawns from Asia with strong environmental credentials.
Prawn species
King prawns (Melicertus plebejus)
King prawns are one of the most popular species of prawn in Australia due to their rich flavour and moist flesh. The king prawn is categorised by two subspecies – eastern and western. There is no major noticeable flavour difference between eastern and western king prawns, with both subspecies proving to be extremely versatile in the kitchen and excellent for display purposes.
Banana prawns (Penaeus indicus)
Black tiger prawns (Penaeus monodon)
Black tiger prawns are farmed in Australia and are also found in smaller quantities in a few countries throughout Asia – primarily Vietnam and Thailand. In their natural state, the colour of this species varies from blue to black to brown. When peeled, the colour of their translucent flesh varies from white to pink and when cooked, their shell turns bright red with the flesh forming pinkish bands. In terms of flavour, black tigers have a medium level of richness, which is complemented nicely by their low to moderate oiliness and slightly firm texture.
Vannamei prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei)
Also known as white prawn or whiteleg shrimp, the vannamei prawn is now the most commonly farmed prawn species in Asia. This is mainly due to its ease of cultivation, strong disease resistance and rapid growth rate. Although generally smaller, milder in flavour and less firm in texture than the black tiger, vannamei has gained in popularity and has eclipsed black tigers globally as the prawn of choice. The global production of this species is over 5,000,000 tonnes per year – making up over 60% of all prawns, either farmed or wild.
Prawn variants
What is a whole prawn?
What is a prawn cutlet?
In the aquaculture industry, cutlets are often referred to as peeled, de-veined, tail on (PDTO). As the name implies, the whole prawn is peeled, de-veined with the head removed, leaving only the tail-piece of the shell.
What is prawn meat?
Environmental responsibility and quality certifications
Bidfood Australia’s international prawn suppliers have state-of-the-art processing facilities where they operate under the highest industry certifications. This is achieved and maintained through strict food safety procedures and systems – all of which are based around Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). The facilities are subject to the internationally-recognised food safety standards of ISO 22000 or the British Retail Consortium (BRC) Certification.
A great deal of dedication and passion is demonstrated by aquaculturists fisheries through their internationally-recognised sustainability standards accreditation. Accreditation for sustainable fishing of farmed prawns is awarded by the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s Best Aquaculture Practices (GAA’s BAP), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the WWF Vietnam scheme. For wild caught prawns, they are typically endorsed by the Marine Stewardship Council’’s (MSC) sustainable seafood scheme.
Defrosting prawns
How do you defrost cooked prawns?
The best way to thaw frozen cooked prawns is to put them in an airtight container in the fridge a day before you need them. Keeping them in a sealed container prevents unnecessary cross-contamination, dehydration and oxidisation. Thawing at low temperatures helps maintain quality. If you need to defrost your prawns quickly, place your cooked prawns in a waterproof plastic container or zip lock bag and place the container in a bowl or sink with cold water. Do not leave prawns out at room temperature or put them in the microwave to defrost.