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The black "vein" is merely the shrimp's intestinal tract. It contains food -- in shrimp, that would be plankton -- in various stages of digestion. This part of the shrimp is completely harmless and edible.

Removing the tract from the shrimp is time-consuming, tedious, and truly pointless. Plus, it is virtually impossible to remove every bit of it, and some pieces are going to remain.

If you absolutely must remove it, here is how to do it: Cook and shell the shrimp, peel a back strip down to the tail revealing the dark line, and use a small, sharp knife to remove the tract.

If you want to enjoy shrimp and just cannot bear the tract nor want to go to the unnecessary trouble of removing it, then make -- or order -- shrimp tempura (shrimp covered in batter and deep fried). You can also prepare or order shrimp that has not been shelled. Cooking shrimp in a wok with lots of vegetables will take attention away from that black line. There are also a number of scrumptious shrimp dishes made with sauces, from Italian scampi to the classic Japanese shrimp sauce. Here is a wondeful recipe for a sauce that is easy and quick

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7y ago

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