Shrimp are sold by “count,” meaning how many individual shrimp you get per pound. Bigger shrimp = fewer shrimp per pound. For example, “21/25” count shrimp (about 21 to 25 per pound) are jumbo-sized. These are the showstoppers you’d serve on a skewer or in a fancy cocktail.
Meanwhile, “41/50” count shrimp are medium and smaller. You’ll get about 45 or more per pound. These are perfect for tossing into pasta, stirring into gumbo, or piling onto a bed of rice. The number of shrimp you get changes how you think about portions—it’s all about the bang for your buck.
Pro tip: If you’re buying shell-on shrimp, remember you’re paying for the shells too. Peeled, deveined shrimp is lighter, so a pound of that will actually be more flesh per bite. That means you might get a bit more serving power out of it!
