In autumn, when cool breezes blow in the mornings and evenings, gourmets crowd the West Sea coast to taste kuruma prawns.
Daehwa (大蝦) literally means "big shrimp." It refers to a large shrimp that grows to around 20 centimeters in length. Globally, it is found only in limited areas of Korea and China, including the Yellow Sea and Bohai Bay. In Korea, it appears in Taean, Boryung, Gunsan, Yeonggwang, Incheon, Goheung, and Yeosu, among other places.
Kuruma prawns that inhabit the West Sea live along the coast from August to October, migrate offshore in November to December when the water temperature drops below 10 degrees Celsius, then return to the coast around late April and spawn in May to June.
Anmyeon-do, where sandy tidal flats and muddy tidal flats coexist, offers a favorable environment for various crustaceans and fish, including kuruma prawns. Based on this, Anmyeon-do Baeksajang Port has served as a distribution hub, with large numbers of kuruma prawns caught in the West Sea flowing into Anmyeon-do, establishing it as a specialty area.
In Jeong Yak-jeon's Jasan Eobo, the kuruma prawn appears under the name "haeha" (海蝦). Jeong Yak-jeon noted that for haeha, "the large ones reach a length of two ja (about 60 centimeters), and the whiskers are several ja long," and recorded that it is sweet and tasty, excellent for cooking, and also good when dried and made into po (脯).
Kuruma prawns often die immediately once caught. It is very hard to find live kuruma prawns at markets. A substitute item is the whiteleg shrimp. Native to Central and South America, whiteleg shrimp was introduced as a farmed species to replace kuruma prawns.
Kuruma prawns are generally more expensive. Because of this, some unscrupulous distributors deceive customers by selling whiteleg shrimp as kuruma prawns. The easiest part to tell them apart is the tail. If the wing tip is red, it is whiteleg shrimp; if it has a greenish hue, it is a kuruma prawn. The legs also differ somewhat. Kuruma prawn legs are reddish, while whiteleg shrimp, true to the name, are whitish or transparent.
Kuruma prawns are appealing not only in taste but also nutritionally. They are especially rich in taurine, which helps relieve fatigue. The shell contains the antioxidant astaxanthin, so it is good to grill and eat them with the shell on. They are also considered beneficial for bone health due to their richness in calcium and chitosan.
However, people with shrimp allergies should take care when consuming them. Those who need to manage cholesterol, such as with hyperlipidemia, should also avoid excessive intake. That is because shrimp, including kuruma prawns, contain a substantial 150 to 200 milligrams of cholesterol per 100 grams.