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How to eat prawns in Costa Brava
6Costa Brava is my favourite place in Spain, but I guess you knew that already. One reason for this, if not THE reason for this, is the delicious food in Costa Brava. Here you’ll find countless excellent restaurants like the best restaurant in the world “El Celler de can Roca”. It seems like EVERYONE in Costa Brava can cook. And for sure sea food is on top of every menu. To be honest, I think prawns taste different in Costa Brava. Better.
And the Catalans do have a very special way to eat prawns. I tried it. And didn’t like it. BUT many people do like it and so I think everyone should at least try it. I will show you how to eat prawns in Costa Brava style. (Not to mention the giggling part when they say: “Suck the head and lick the finger”.)
My friend Jimmy Pons from Rutas Menorca volunteered as demo model, so here we go…
First you take the prawn (called Gamba in Spanish) and separate the head from the body. Peel the body and enjoy the prawn meat. Then you take the head, put it in your mouth and suck it.
Yes, exactly. Suck the head out. Completely. Including brain and everything. I thought it was disgusting, but many many people say it’s the best part of the prawn. What’s next?
Lick the finger. If you want you can also suck the prwan’s butt. But ehm, that’s your decision.
But that’s how you eat prawns in Costa Brava: Suck the head and lick the finger. Shamed be he who thinks naughty of it.
Disclaimer: I was invited on this trip by Costa Brava tourism board. Same people who forced me to suck the head of a prawn when I’ve been there the first time.
Now THIS I got to do! Went to Portugal earlier this year, just after I had started my travel video blog, and we had them big size Prawns too Yvonne, but nothing compared to THIS!! Yum yum deluxe!
Ganz schrecklich! | How horrible!
Ganz lecker! | How delicious!
haha… das mit dem Garnelenkopf aussaugen ist zugegeben gewöhnungsbedürftig. Am Anfang hab ich auch etwas komisch geguckt und die Köpfe heimlich unter die Schalenreste gelegt… mittlerweile ist das aber auch für mich einer der leckersten Teile der Gambas!!!! Wirklich war!
Blech, I don’t think I’d like it. I did a cooking class in Mexico with shrimp and I was not pleased with ripping off the heads and cutting out that disgusting vein. When I re-created the recipe at home, I made my boyfriend do that dirty work.
Gotta love prawns! The guy in the photo does look a tad mental though
Duncan
Prawns get a thumbs up from me specially those from the Med but that said I do find un-shelled prawns too fiddly and messy and ‘sucking the head’ doesn’t make it sound any more inviting ha!