Kuruma-ebi, Kuruma Prawn

With its head on, this prawn is about 6 inches long and has charming large black eyes. When you see kuruma prawn alive in the water, the shell looks semicrystalline and transparent, with a brown brushstroke across each section. The prawn bends and curls like a cart wheel, kuruma. The raw meat is almost transparent, with a pleasantly resilient texture and a melting, sweet flavor.

Kuruma-ebi thrives in the waters of Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean. The season is from summer through autumn, but connoisseurs claim that the best prawns are harvested in late autumn. Kuruma-ebi is generally unavailable in the United States, where good, less expensive substitutes are also available: black tiger prawn from Southeast Asia and white tiger prawn from South America and Mexico. Both of these can be found fresh or frozen in U.S. markets.