Scampi is the term typically used for a type of shellfish, and is also used as a culinary term for some types of prawns, most notably the ‘true’ Scampi Nephrops Norvegicus, but depending on where you live, “Scampi” can mean many different things. …
In India, the term “freshwater prawns” is generally used to refer to the shrimp Macrobrachium rosenbergii, which is also known as “freshwater prawn” or “Malaysian prawn”.
Several types of lobster are also classified as prawns, but in the UK, “legitimate” king prawns as defined by the Food Standards Agency are Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), which are typically found in the Adriatic, parts of the western Mediterranean Sea and the Irish Sea, hence its name in Ireland and in some parts of the UK is Dublin Bay Prawn.
In Italy, “Scampi” is the plural of Scampo, which is the Italian species name for what we call Dublin Bay prawn.
In France they use the word langoustine instead of scampi and in the US “scampi” turns out to be something different. – “Scampi” is normally listed on the menu as what the UK and most of Europe would call shrimp, especially in Italian-American cuisine. The phrase “Scampi”, by itself, may be the name of a shrimp dish cooked in garlic butter and dry white wine, often served with bread or over pasta. In the United States, the word “shrimp” is normally interpreted as a type of preparation and not as a specific ingredient, hence the seemingly unnecessary “garlic shrimp” or even the seemingly impossible “garlic chicken.”
Although certain countries and some people still believe that scampi is “langostinos” or shrimp based, they are in fact WRONG. The meaty tail of Norway lobster is more similar in flavor and texture to lobster and crayfish than to prawns or prawns.
