The Dark Line on Shrimp: What It Is and When to Remove It
You have seen it a hundred times. You are peeling shrimp for dinner and there it is: that thin, dark line running along the back. Maybe you dutifully…
How to Devein Shrimp
If you decide to remove the line, it takes only a few seconds per shrimp, and it is far easier to do before cooking than after.
- With a knife: make a shallow cut along the back with a small, sharp paring knife, just deep enough to expose the dark line, then lift it out with the tip of the knife or rinse it away under cold water.
- With a deveining tool: these have a small hook that catches the vein and pulls it out in one clean motion.
- When butterflying: if you are cutting the shrimp almost all the way through so it opens like a book, the line will be fully exposed and easy to wipe away.
The white line on the underside is the nerve cord and does not need to be removed at all. And now you know the truth about that mysterious dark line: harmless, easy to deal with, and entirely up to you.