Wild BC Fresh Spot Prawns are here – so what’s the big deal?
Arriving fresh daily, straight from the fishing boats! The freshest, tastiest prawns available here on the West Coast are available in our fresh fish seafood counter at all of our stores. (Please note: daily quantities may be limited due to weather and fishing conditions).
A Spotty Season
Wild BC Spot Prawn season only lasts for 4-6 weeks, usually starting mid May. They are known around the world for their sweet flavour and firm texture. Spot Prawns have a unique reddish brown colour that turns bright pink with white spots when cooked. They are the largest of 7 species of shrimp found on Canada’s west coast, some can be as large as 23cm in length or more!
Catch Them If You Can
Fishermen spread baited traps along the rocky ocean floor at depths of up to 100 meters, this method has very low levels of bycatch of other ocean species. Here in BC we harvest approximately 2500 metric tonnes with about 65% of these coming from the water between the mainland and Vancouver Island.
Popular Spots
So why can it be so hard to find these yummy prawns here in BC during this short season? BC spot prawns are very popular in Asia, in fact over 90% of BCs commercial catch end up overseas. Most of the prawns are frozen at sea shortly after being harvested and then exported across the Pacific to Asia. That only leaves approximately 10% available here in BC! We’re grateful for our relationship with friendly local fisherman to ensure we get a guaranteed supply for our sea-foodie customers!
A Local Delica-sea!
Wild BC Spot Prawns can be prepared several different ways, the trick is to make sure they do not get overcooked. To ensure your prawns are not being overcooked, cook only one to two minutes or just until the prawns turn pink. This applies when cooking both fresh and frozen spot prawns. Try this easy recipe below!
Ingredients
- 30 ml olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 20 fresh spot prawns (heads removed and deveined if desired)
- 4T butter
- Juice of 3 lemons
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook garlic in olive oil on medium heat for 30-60 seconds.
- Add prawns, butter and lemon juice. Toss and allow to cook for 2.5 minutes until prawns turn bright pink.
- Top with parsley and enjoy!
More information on BC Spot Prawns: https://wildbcspotprawns.com/wp/
