Seafood

Northern shrimp

甘エビ　あまえび　amaebi

Also known asamaebi, hokkokuakaebi

At its best in Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec

Northern shrimp (amaebi), Japanese seafood
Northern shrimp (amaebi) is at its best in Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec. It is in the market from Oct to Apr.

When it is at its best

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

In seasonAvailable

How to cook

Northern shrimp: Sashimi

Sashimi

Peeled and eaten raw, with the strong sweetness its name suggests.

Northern shrimp: Sushi

Sushi

A standard nigiri topping, often two to a piece.

Northern shrimp: Karaage (deep-fried)

Karaage (deep-fried)

Fried in the shell; the heads are edible too.

Northern shrimp: Miso soup

Miso soup

The heads give good flavour.

How to choose

Translucent shells with heads not darkened, and firm flesh.

Storage

Loses freshness quickly. Remove the heads, refrigerate and use the same day. It also freezes.

Main areas

Good to know

Its formal name is hokkoku-akaebi. It suits raw eating more than cooking because the amino acids behind its sweetness change with heat. Like the botan shrimp it is born male and turns female. It lives at depths of two hundred to six hundred metres.

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At their best around the same time