Ebi

Among the numerous kinds of shellfish used in Japanese cooking, the prawn has the largest market share. If you want to eat prawn sushi, for instance, at a sushi restaurant in Japan, you need to specify which prawn you would like from among at least five kinds likely to be available. Kuruma-ebi (tiger prawn) has a light reddish shell with brown or blue-red stripes and grows to about 20cm/8 in long. Ushi-ebi (black tiger prawn) has a dark grey shell with black stripes and, along with kuruma-ebi, supposedly has the best flavour. Both are best eaten raw when very fresh but are also used for grilling (broiling), simmering, frying and in soups.