Carabinero

Everything you always wanted to know about Carabineros

Carabinero

Everything you always wanted to know about Carabineros

SPECIES: Aristaeopsis edwardsiana

BEST SEASON: Spring to late summer - May to August

RELATED SPECIES: Deep-sea shrimp family - Aristeidae

PREPARATION: Pan-seared, grilled or raw

RECIPE IDEA: Pasta with essence of Carabinero

TASTE:

Carabineros are known for their intense, almost wild flavor - sweet, yet significantly stronger and deeper than conventional shrimp. Their heads are also particularly prized: The "garum" contained therein, the concentrated essence of the head, is considered a culinary treasure and is used in fine cuisines to refine sauces, soups, stocks, and risottos. The flesh is firm, juicy, and wonderfully buttery - perfect for hearty preparations on the grill, in the pan, or eaten raw as a sophisticated ceviche.

The Carabinero shrimp comes from the deep waters of the eastern Atlantic – particularly off the coasts of Spain, Portugal and Morocco – and is a true delicacy in Mediterranean and fine international cuisine. It lives on the seabed in sandy or muddy soils, usually at depths between 500 and 2,000 meters. There, it feeds on smaller marine organisms and plankton. Due to its habitat, catching it is technically challenging, making it particularly exclusive.

The Carabinero shrimp is a real eye-catcher: it has an intensely bright red shell - even when raw. Unlike most shrimp, which change color when cooked, the red of the Carabinero is genetic and stays that way even after cooking. The red color comes from a high content of astaxanthin, a natural carotenoid. In most shrimp, this pigment only becomes visible when heated - but the Carabinero stores a particularly high amount of free astaxanthin in its shell, which makes it appear deep red even when raw. Its shell is firm and smooth, its antennae are very long and its walking legs are a striking red. It grows significantly larger than conventional shrimp and has an almost majestic appearance.

Carabinero in detail

Carabinero

The striking red color of the Carabinero isn’t just a visual showstopper on the plate – it actually serves as a form of camouflage in the deep sea. In the dark, deep waters where it lives, red appears invisible because red wavelengths of light don’t reach those depths.

Carabinero

The striking red color of the Carabinero isn’t just a visual showstopper on the plate – it actually serves as a form of camouflage in the deep sea. In the dark, deep waters where it lives, red appears invisible because red wavelengths of light don’t reach those depths.

Fun fact:

GIF mit einer weißen Fischgrafik auf blauem Hintergrund, die mehrere rote Luftblasen ausstößt

The name "Carabinero" comes from the Spanish word for a police officer with a red uniform - a reference to its vibrant color. In Spain, it is also called "Gamba Roja" or "Gamba Carabinero" and is valued there not only for its taste but also as a symbol of festive occasions.