Today, December 20th, is National Fried Shrimp Day.

I've got two different dates for this holiday, December 20th and December 21st, so I'm not sure which is correct. I've also found it called French Fried Shrimp Day.

Shrimp refers to a number of different types of decapod crustaceans. Broadly speaking, it refers to those with elongated bodies which swim, although many regions and countries have more restrictive definitions. Another name for these is prawns, but prawns are quite often larger than the, often diminutive, shrimps.

Fried shrimps usually, but, rather oddly, not always, have the shell removed. They are covered in batter, which may be seasoned in a variety of ways, and then fried and served with sauces.

Image: By Ramiroja (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons