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THE SHORT ANSWER

Why are cold-water shrimp so sweet and delicate?

Many cold-water pandalid shrimp are naturally sweet because they contain abundant free amino acids such as glycine. Their small size also leaves less room for overcooking.

Moderate confidence

Many cold-water pandalids are chemically sweet and thermally delicate.

The science in more detail

Pandalids carry high concentrations of glycine and other free amino acids while their small body size gives them little thermal headroom. Post-mortem proteolysis can also be rapid.

Spot prawn is a pandalid but large enough for dry heat. Retail borealis and jordani are frequently already cooked, which makes processing state more important than group.

Evidence behind the answer

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