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Botan Ebi (Botan Shrimp) Sushi

Botan Shrimp (Botan-ebi)

Shrimp & Mantis Shrimp

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ぼたんえび寿司

Order Decapoda, Family Pandalidae, Genus Pandalus

There are three species known as botan-ebi: the true botan-ebi unique to Japan, toyama-ebi, and spot prawn. They are large shrimp measuring 15 to 25 cm, known as a luxury ingredient, and are characterized by markings on their bodies.

Botan-ebi encompasses three species of the family Pandalidae, genus Pandalus: the true botan-ebi (hon-botan-ebi), which inhabits the Pacific side of Japan; toyama-ebi, found in the Sea of Japan; and spot prawn (American botan-ebi), found in the North Pacific.

Botan-ebi itself is scarce and expensive, but hon-botan-ebi is particularly rare in distribution, and most of what is sold as "botan-ebi" is either toyama-ebi or spot prawn. In the past, distantly related Argentine red shrimp was sometimes sold as botan-ebi at conveyor belt sushi restaurants (now labeled as "aka-ebi"), but currently only the above three species are permitted by the Consumer Affairs Agency to be labeled as "botan-ebi."

The main production areas for hon-botan-ebi are Chiba, Ibaraki, and Suruga Bay; toyama-ebi is caught more in Hokkaido than in Toyama, and is also imported from Russia and elsewhere. The domestic peak season for both is autumn through spring. Spot prawn is primarily available as frozen imports from the United States and Canada, making it available year-round.

Botan-ebi sushi is fundamentally served raw as nigiri. Fresh specimens have a deep red color, with soft yet springy flesh, and a rich, lingering sweetness from the viscous amino acids. Shrimp are divided into Pleocyemata (suborder), which carry eggs on their abdomen, and Dendrobranchiata (suborder), which release eggs into the sea. Botan-ebi and ama-ebi belong to the former, and during spawning season, females are caught carrying eggs on their bellies. Nigiri topped with the roe of spawning-season botan-ebi is popular, and the ebi-miso (shrimp head paste) from the head is also deeply flavorful.

How to Tell the Three Botan Shrimp Apart

The name botan-ebi is said to derive either from the markings scattered across its body resembling peony (botan) petals, or from its red color resembling a peony flower. True to its name, hon-botan-ebi is vermillion when alive, with translucent organs and distinctive red markings on its body.

Toyama-ebi, on the other hand, is not as red as hon-botan-ebi when alive, and is notable for the white markings on its carapace and the horizontal stripes on its abdomen. Spot prawn is distinguished by its characteristic white stripes on the carapace. Among these three, hon-botan-ebi commands the highest price, but the others are also premium shrimp with exceptional flavor.
Above: Hon-botan-ebi (True Botan Shrimp) Below: Toyama-ebi Above: Hon-botan-ebi (True Botan Shrimp) Photo by Totti
Below: Toyama-ebi Photo by harum.koh

Where Is a Shrimp's Heart?

If you've ever cleaned shrimp, you know that the body section has no heart or anything resembling internal organs. In fact, shrimp have their heart, stomach, and liver not in their body section but next to the brain, behind the eyes. Since digested food stays in the head, the head of a live, transparent shrimp can sometimes take on the same color as its food. So the complex, rich flavor of shrimp head paste (ebi-miso) comes from the fact that it contains not just the brain but all the internal organs as well!

Shrimp head paste (ebi-miso)

If you've ever cleaned shrimp, you know that the body section has no heart or anything resembling internal organs. In fact, shrimp have their heart, stomach, and liver not in their body section but next to the brain, behind the eyes. Since digested food stays in the head, the head of a live, transparent shrimp can sometimes take on the same color as its food. So the complex, rich flavor of shrimp head paste (ebi-miso) comes from the fact that it contains not just the brain but all the internal organs as well!

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