What Is That Odd Orange Paste On Raw Shrimp?

If you opt to buy your shrimp whole, meaning it's still got its head attached and is still in its shell, you might find that a rare few come with appears to be an orange substance beneath their bellies. . The roe's hue can vary in color from yellow, amber, to bright orange, and some of these reliably delicious crustaceans can even carry bright blue eggs.

But you won't find the eggs on shrimp year-round; this is a phenomenon that happens only when the shrimp are caught during spawning season. Spawning season windows widely vary, so depending on the type you're buying and where you're located, wild shrimp can carry eggs during different parts of the year. This does beg one big question, however, and I know you're all wondering about this now: Is shrimp roe edible? The answer is yes, but only under certain conditions.

Shrimp roe should be cooked before eating it As tempting as it might be to eat raw shrimp roe, since it of sorts, it's generally advised that you don't. — just as most people in general — you really don't want to risk falling ill due to a foodborne illness. This is more of a concern for those who have compromised immune systems, but , so it's best to avoid eating it like that altogether.

Instead, if you're curious and would like to eat the roe, you'll want to cook it until it's gone from clear to an opaque color. That way, you'll know it's safe to eat, and you're likely to not get sick that way. And in fact, some people even encourage you to eat the shrimp roe .