It’s not essential to devein shrimp, but for some people it is aesthetically pleasing to remove that thin black strip.

It’s more noticeable in larger shrimp — and it’s much easier to remove. You might not even see it in smaller shrimp.

By the way, the technique is called deveining, but it’s actually the shrimp’s digestive tract, and the dark shade is from grit in the tract. The “vein” isn’t harmful if eaten.

Here, Chef Todd Reilly shows a quick and easy way to devein Wild American Shrimp as well as peel them:

Now that you have peeled and deveined shrimp, here’s a great recipe to try — Shrimp Creole from Spicy Southern Kitchen:

For more recipes featuring Wild American Shrimp, click here.