My Mother-in-Law Cooked Shrimp With the Shells On—and I Refused to Let My Children Eat It. Was I Wrong?

are separate, and understanding that difference can make seafood preparation much less confusing.

Is Deveining Shrimp Really Necessary?

The short answer is that deveining shrimp is not always required for safety, although many people prefer to do it.

The dark digestive tract may contain sand, grit, or digestive material, depending on the shrimp and how it was processed. This can affect the texture or appearance of the finished dish.

For that reason, cooks frequently remove the tract before preparing shrimp, especially when making dishes in which the shrimp are peeled