Celebrate National Shrimp Day the Florida Way with Timoti’s
Party with Prawns on May 10
Here in Northeast Florida, we love our shrimp! From the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival held every year on Amelia Island to the abundance of restaurants serving them up, shrimp are central to our Floridian way of life. Even Jacksonville’s minor league baseball team is named the Jumbo Shrimp in honor of them!
Between their nutritional benefits and delicious flavor, it’s hard to argue with the idea that shrimp are worth celebrating. Read on to learn more about why we love these little shellfish so much and for some of our favorite ways to give them the love they deserve this National Shrimp Day.
Small Shrimp, Big Health Benefits
One of the best things about shrimp? They’re good for you! These shellfish are calorically low but packed with vitamins and nutrients, including protein, iodine, vitamin B12, and iron. They also contain almost half of your suggested daily intake of selenium, which acts as an antioxidant and helps with brain function, your metabolism, and heart health.
Wild-caught fish, including shrimp, are thought to have higher nutritional value than farm-raised options, while also being more sustainable. At Timoti’s, you can be confident that you’re only getting the best wild-caught seafood, with all of the health benefits included. Eat up!
Locally Caught Shrimp in Northeast Florida
Though there are over 2,000 different species of shrimp, most aren’t consumed by humans. Those that are eaten can be broken into categories by color, labeled either pink, white, brown, or red. In Florida, we catch Atlantic White Shrimp, which, as their name suggests, can be found anywhere along the Atlantic coast as far north as New York. Here in the Jacksonville region, we also have access to Mayport Shrimp, another white shrimp variety caught just off the First Coast. These special shellfish are a favorite among locals and visitors alike, known for their meaty texture and sweet flavor. It was these shrimp that helped establish Amelia Island as a hub of the shrimping industry a century ago.
A Crustacean Celebration
Timoti’s window from Shrimp Festival 2020
In Amelia Island, we use the annual Shrimp Fest, established 57 years ago, as an opportunity to celebrate these shellfish and the shrimping industry that calls the island home. Though the festival was canceled this year due to the pandemic, many restaurants still showed off their best artistic skills with shrimp-inspired window paintings and offered to-go meals featuring our favorite seafood.
And we’re not alone here in Northeast Florida when we say we’re big fans of shrimp: the shellfish is also the most popular seafood in the United States. National Shrimp Day, celebrated annually on May 10, puts the spotlight on prawns. Though the official founder of the day is unknown, we’re not complaining – we’ll take any excuse to enjoy our favorite ocean fare!
Serving Up a Shrimp Feast
This year, National Shrimp Day happens to fall on Mother’s Day. However, instead of choosing just one of the holidays to celebrate, we suggest taking this as a serendipitous opportunity to prepare a seafood feast that’ll make mom’s day. Whether you choose to serve up Cajun blackened shrimp or the southern classic shrimp and grits, you can be sure that these shellfish will make a meal fit for a queen.
If cooking just isn’t in the cards for you, don’t worry! Our Amelia Island and Nocatee locations are both open and ready to supply you with all the shrimp – blackened, grilled or fried – that you need. Just place your order online, and we’ll have it ready for you to pick up. You’ll be partying shrimp-style in no time!