Feature story: Shrimp Story

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You can see the shrimp boats from your restaurant table, so that shrimp pasta on the menu has to be fresh and local. Right?

Actually, unless the menu mentions otherwise, chances are that the shrimp swimming in that garlic cream sauce actually began their life in a chemical-filled pond in Indonesia, not in the eddies and estuaries of South Carolina waters.

But for many South Carolinians, that is changing.

"I've been serving Wild American shrimp for 11 years, since I got to Charleston," says Charleston Grill Chef Bob Waggoner. "I know where it's coming from, and just like all the ingredients in my restaurant, I look for the best possible products. Wild American shrimp is just such an amazing product."

There are many dishes on the Charleston Grill menu that feature shrimp, but one of Chef Waggoner's current favorites is a crab cake that comes garnished with julienne shrimp in a light tomato vinaigrette.

But you don't have to be a chef to notice that locally caught shrimp just taste better. The local varieties, white and brown, all have slightly different flavor profiles, and dock practices of icing and refrigeration give fresh shrimp several days of shelf life. You just have to remember that you have a choice; you can make that choice simply by asking, "Is your shrimp local?"

Shrimp Facts:

• Certified Wild American shrimp contains statistically significant higher amounts of key nutrients (iron, protein, Omega 3, etc.) than pond-raised varieties..

• Country of origin labeling laws started in 2004 to help consumers distinguish the origins and methods of production of seafood at grocery stores.

Read more about Sustainable Seafood:

Farm Fresh Fish

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