Be informed
Prawn sizes, explained
రొయ్యల సైజు — నిజంగా అర్థం ఏమిటి
“Jumbo”, “King”, “Large” — none of these mean anything on their own. There is no rule that says what a jumbo prawn has to weigh, so the word on the box is whatever the seller decided to print. One number is real: the count per kilo.
The count is how many prawns it takes to make one kilogram. 30 per kg means big prawns. 90 per kg means small ones. It is the only size measure you can verify yourself, in your own kitchen, without trusting anybody — including us.
The count chart
Trade-standard grades, biggest first. Counts are per kilogram.
| Count | Name | Per kg | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| U/10 | Jumbo | Under 10 | Grilling, tandoor, whole on the plate |
| 10/20 | Extra large | 10 – 20 | Pan-searing, butter garlic, ghee roast |
| 21/30 | Large | 21 – 30 | Biryani, tawa fry, skewers |
| 31/40 | Medium large | 31 – 40 | Stir-fry, dry fry, pulao |
| 41/50 | Medium | 41 – 50 | Everyday curry, iguru, fried rice |
| 51/60 | Medium small | 51 – 60 | Pulusu, gravies, soups |
| 61/70 | Small | 61 – 70 | Noodles, cutlets, stuffing |
| 71/90 | Extra small | 71 – 90 | Chowder, dips, rice dishes |
| 91/120 | Tiny | 91 – 120 | Salads, omelettes, chutneys |
What we sell, by the numbers
Our own counts, straight from the price list — published so you can hold us to the same test as anyone else.
Vannamei
- Small80-100 per kgOut of stock today
- Medium50-70 per kg
- Large35-45 per kg
Black Tiger
- Large26-34 per kgOut of stock today
- Jumbo20-25 per kg
Every pack is peeled & de-veined, and we sell by cleaned weight — order 250 g and 250 g of ready-to-cook prawn reaches your kitchen. The counts above describe the prawn before cleaning, which is how the trade grades them.
Five checks before you pay
All of these you can do yourself. None of them require taking anyone's word.
Ask for the count per kilo — and get a number
"Jumbo" and "Large" mean nothing on their own; no rule says what either has to weigh. The count is how many prawns make a kilo, and it is the one figure you can check yourself at home. A seller who will not give you a number is selling you a word.
Compare cleaned weight, not head-on weight
A kilo of head-on prawn is not a kilo of food. Heads and shells are roughly half the animal, so a kilo bought whole leaves you around 500 g to cook. A "cheaper per kilo" head-on price is often the dearer one once you have binned the heads. Ask what the price is per kilo of CLEANED prawn, then compare.
Check for ice glaze on anything frozen
Frozen prawns are usually coated in a layer of ice to protect them — reasonable practice, except that you are charged per kilo for it. Let a pack thaw fully, drain it, and weigh again. The difference is what you actually bought.
Watch for soaked prawns
Phosphate soaking (STPP) and sulphites make prawns look plumper and heavier than they are. The tells: unusually swollen and slippery, a faint soapy taste, and a pool of white liquid in the pan as they shrink. You paid for that water at prawn prices.
Count your own pack
The simplest check of all, and nobody does it. Tip out a kilo and count. If a pack sold as 21/30 has forty prawns in it, you have been sold the next grade down at the higher grade's price — quietly, and usually every time.
How we answer our own five
- Count published — on every size, above and on the shop page.
- Priced on cleaned weight — about 480–530 g of peeled prawn comes off each kilo of whole prawn, and we price that work in rather than billing you for heads.
- Never frozen — pond to door on ice, so there is no glaze to pay for.
- No STPP, no sulphites — nothing is soaked to fake weight.
- Count it yourself — if a pack does not match the grade, tell us and we will make it right.