f l u G s a T he Tex Shrimp Diaries :
HANCE BY ANDREA
Through the Eyes of a Texas Gulf Shrimp!
I
grew up along the Texas coast in clean estuaries, bays and ultimately the Gulf of Mexico - helping solidify my Lone Star geographic claim. What am I? Well, I am the Texas Gulf shrimp on your plate!! In fact, I have always dreamed of this day and I am grilled (pardon me, thrilled) to be here - Hello drawn butter, you complete me!
But before my journey ends, let me tell you how it began. For generations, Texas coastal families have earned a living by trawling for Gulf shrimp like me. In fact, I have a wild side and am considered (by my marine life peers) to be a renewable, natural resource – thanks Texas shrimpers for trawling so responsibly. While being pursued and harvested may seem like a dreadful thing - to me, it is the highest form of coastal flattery. In fact, we (shrimp and shrimpers) depend on one another to sustain a balanced eco-system for future generations to enjoy. While its true that I have millions of jumpy siblings ready to be plated, many anxious consumers might be forced to wait or choose other seafood options. Why? Because shrimpers who depend on Texas Gulf Shrimp are struggling with mountains of red tape, endless regulations, and a saturated seafood market flooded with imported shrimp. And did you know that most imported shrimp goes unregu-
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lated and is chemically engineered? It comes from faraway lands, usually unrefrigerated and continues to pour into our culinary pipelines from countries more than 5000 miles away. Can you imagine swimming that far, seriously? As I sit perched on this shiny Weber Grill, I consider myself to be one lucky crustacean. But before I fire up someone’s appetite, do me a ‘flavor’. Spread the word about Texas Gulf shrimp, buy local and thank a Texas shrimper for all his hard work. Remember, whether we are Deep Fried, Blackened, Pan Fried, Boiled, Grilled or Sautéed – Texas shrimp have culinary dreams too! Thanks for making mine come true!
Texas Shrimp Diary:
Reality Check
While this story was written in fun, most of the content in this fictional entry is true. Think about it, do you really know what you are eating or what is being served to you when you dine or carry out? Think about this. ~ Is the $50.00 Gulf Red Snapper menu item truly red snapper? Statistically a cheaper, inferior fish is passed off to consumers approximately 70% of the time.
