Five (5) of 2021’s Top Cooking Trends Meet Wild American Shrimp



September 27, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected all of our lives in drastic ways, but one of the most pronounced is how much time we’ve had to spend at home self-quarantining. For many of us, this has meant more time spent in the kitchen preparing our own meals and attempting to hone our cooking skills.

Because of this home-centric shift, several new cooking trends have become increasingly popular throughout 2020 and into 2021. We’ve gathered five of the top trends to break down how shrimp fit perfectly within them. Wild-caught American shrimp are a deliciously handy food to always have in your kitchen not only because they can be frozen to last for weeks, but also because they’re so well-adapted to a variety of different recipes and, as we’ll discuss here, a multitude of popular cooking trends!

1) Easy Meals

Since we’ve had more time to spend in the kitchen, many of us may be starting to take ourselves seriously as home chefs for the first time. Those who previously preferred ordering food for carryout or zapping up a quick bite in the microwave have now been trying their hands at homemade recipes. This is why, now more than ever, convenience cooking is on the rise: quick and easy meals that are easily prepared with few ingredients or technical know-how necessary.

This is where shrimp come in. Shrimp are so easy to cook, simply throw them onto a hot pan – and once they turn pink – they’re ready to eat! From there, shrimp can easily be added to simple recipes, including any one of our many Shrimplify video recipes!

2) Pasta

It’s hard not to love pasta: it’s go-to comfort food and is both cost-friendly and long-lasting in the pantry. It makes sense that more people are cooking more pasta during these extended periods indoors. Just about any pasta is perfectly paired with a hearty serving of wild-caught, American shrimp, so get in on the scrumptiousness yourself with our recipe for Bow Ties with Shrimp, Spinach and Feta!

3) Waste-Free Cooking

Proteins have seen large fluctuations of availability and price since the onset of COVID-19, particularly red meat and poultry. Thus, more people are trying to fully utilize as much of their meat as possible. Shrimp fit into this idea perfectly because not only are shrimp readily available in most local grocery stores, but they are also incredibly easy to take full advantage of when it comes to cooking! Use the meat of your shrimp for a tasty recipe and then save the heads, shells and tails for later use in a mouthwatering shrimp stock!

4) Spices

Because of more people looking for simple and speedy ways to spice up their dishes, there’s been an increase in consumers stocking up their pantries with various flavors and sauces. In 2020, sales of Za’atar spice increased by 39%, Lao Gan Ma sales rose 227% and sales of Piri Piri sauce went up by a whopping 725%! Put your cabinet’s spices to good use by cooking up any of our numerous recipes for shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo and more!

5) Tacos

Easy to make and delicious to taste, tacos have proved to be an appetizingly reliable staple during quarantine. They’re as customizable as they are flavorful – tasting great with beef or chicken – but if you asked us, we’d always say that you can never go wrong with the sweet and savory taste of shrimp tacos. Make a few for yourself with this video recipe from Valentina’s Corner!

Wild-caught American shrimp and their delectable flavor go perfectly with just about any dish or popular cooking trend. To see just how versatile shrimp are, visit our Recipes page for a variety of tasty shrimp recipes! To order wild-caught American shrimp for yourself or your business to be shipped anywhere in the country, CLICK HERE!