Mantis Shrimp Splurges

The mantis shrimp is a type of marine crustacean characterized by a pair or enlarged appendages that form powerful claws for seizing prey. It has been known to feed on crabs (check this cool video), sea snails, fish, and other aquatic preys. Wikipedia.org notes that the mantis shrimp sport powerful claws that they use to attack and kill prey by spearing, stunning or dismemberment. Mantis shrimp can break through aquarium glass with a single strike from this weapon. Badasss!

In my visits to Penang island and Kulim in Kedah, Malaysia, I had the fortune of partaking on mantis shrimp dishes a few times. Once, it was in the form of deep-fried mantis shrimp-balls; complemented by sweet-yet-scorching chili padi dipping sauce. I did not even think it was shrimp mantis I was wolfing down as tasted like a tossup between prawn and crab with a rather piquant smell. The other times I gorged on this lovely creature, it was in an assortment of cookery, steamed, fried, soup, you name it. One has to have a stomach made of steel to put up with the looks of this creature. See for yourself!