List of seafood dishes facts for kids

A seafood platter, called Plateau de fruits de mer in French, is a dish with raw and cooked shellfish served cold on ice.

Delicious seafood on a platter.

Seafood dishes are meals that use ingredients from the ocean, like fish, shellfish (like shrimp, crab, or clams), or even seaweed. These dishes are prepared and cooked, ready for you to enjoy! Many seafood dishes have special names, like "cioppino," while others are simply described, like "fried fish." Some are even named after the places they come from, such as "Cullen skink."

Exploring Seafood Dishes

Cioppino is a tasty fish stew that started in San Francisco.

Maeuntang is a hot and spicy Korean fish soup.

Shrimp scampi, a popular way to cook shrimp.

A seafood birdsnest, a fun Chinese dish.

Scottish prawns served on a platter.

Mixed Seafood Meals

Many dishes combine different types of seafood to create unique flavors. Here are some examples:

• Bisque – A creamy, smooth soup from France, often made with shellfish like lobster or crab.
• Ceviche – A Latin American dish where raw seafood is "cooked" by marinating it in citrus juices, like lime or lemon.
• Chowder – A type of thick, creamy soup that often includes seafood.
• Cioppino – A hearty fish stew that began in San Francisco, often packed with crab, clams, mussels, squid, scallops, shrimp, and fish.
• Fideuà – A seafood dish from Spain, similar to paella but made with noodles instead of rice.
• Maeuntang – A spicy Korean fish soup.
• Moules-frites – A famous Belgian dish of mussels served with french fries.
• Paella – A well-known Spanish rice dish that can include mussels, shrimp, and fish.
• Plateau de fruits de mer – A French seafood platter, usually served cold with various shellfish.
• Seafood pizza – A pizza topped with different kinds of seafood.
• Sushi – A traditional Japanese dish of vinegared rice, often served with raw seafood.

Clam Creations

Clams are a popular type of shellfish used in many dishes around the world.

• Clams casino – A dish where clams are served on their half-shell with breadcrumbs and bacon. It's often an appetizer.
• Clam cake – Also known as clam fritters, these are fried patties made with clams.
• Clam chowder – A very famous creamy soup made with clams, often with potatoes and onions. New England clam chowder is a classic!
• Fried clams – A popular seafood dish from New England, where clams are breaded and deep-fried.
• Spaghetti alle vongole – An Italian dish of spaghetti served with clams and a delicious sauce.
• Steamed clams – A simple and tasty way to enjoy clams, cooked by steaming them.

New England–style clam chowder is a creamy soup with clams, potatoes, and onions.

Crab Dishes

Crabs are a favorite seafood, known for their sweet meat.

• Black pepper crab – A popular crab dish from Malaysia and Singapore, stir-fried with black pepper.
• Chilli crab – Another popular dish from Malaysia and Singapore, where crabs are stir-fried in a sweet and spicy tomato-based sauce.
• Crab cake – A patty made from crab meat mixed with other ingredients like breadcrumbs and seasonings, then fried or baked. They are very popular in Maryland, USA.
• Crab rangoon – Deep-fried dumplings often served in American Chinese restaurants, filled with cream cheese and crab meat.
• Deviled crab – A crab meat croquette, where the crab meat is seasoned, breaded, and deep-fried.
• She-crab soup – A rich, creamy soup similar to bisque, made with crab meat and sometimes crab roe.
• Soft-shell crab – Crabs that have recently shed their old shells and are still soft, so they can be eaten whole after cooking.

Black pepper crab is a popular way to prepare crab in Singapore.

Fish Favorites

Fish is a healthy and versatile food, used in countless dishes.

• Fisherman's soup – A Hungarian fish stew.
• Mohinga – A rice noodle and fish soup from Myanmar.
• Bacalaíto – A seafood dish from Puerto Rico, often made with salted cod.
• Fish and brewis – A dish from Newfoundland, Canada, made with cod and hardtack (a type of hard biscuit).
• Jellied eels – A traditional British dish of chopped eels cooked and set in a savory jelly.
• Unadon – A Japanese dish of grilled eel served over rice.
• Lox – Thinly sliced cured salmon, often served on bagels.
• Bake and shark – A street food dish from Trinidad, made with fried shark meat.
• Hákarl – An Icelandic dish of fermented shark, known for its strong smell.
• Sambal stingray – Barbecued stingray served with a spicy sambal sauce.

Lobster Luxuries

Lobster is a prized seafood, often enjoyed in special dishes.

• Lobster bisque – A creamy, rich soup made from lobster.
• Lobster Newberg – A classic American dish with lobster meat in a rich butter, cream, and egg sauce.
• Lobster roll – A sandwich filled with lobster meat, often mixed with mayonnaise or butter, served in a hot dog bun.
• Lobster Thermidor – A French dish where cooked lobster meat is mixed with a creamy sauce, often with egg yolks and brandy, then put back into the lobster shell and baked.

Lobster Thermidor is a French dish with creamy lobster meat served in its shell.

Octopus Options

Octopus is a popular ingredient in many cuisines, especially in Asian and Mediterranean dishes.

• Nakji-bokkeum – A spicy Korean dish of stir-fried octopus.
• Polbo á feira – A traditional Galician (Spanish) dish of boiled octopus seasoned with olive oil, paprika, and salt.
• San-nakji – A Korean dish of live octopus cut into small pieces, still squirming when served.
• Takoyaki – A Japanese ball-shaped snack made from a wheat flour batter, typically filled with minced or diced octopus.

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  Nakji-bokkeum (stir-fried octopus)

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  Octopus cooking in a pot for Polbo á feira.

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  Pulpo a la campechana is a Mexican octopus dish.

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  San-nakji (sliced raw octopus)

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  Takoyaki is a Japanese snack with octopus inside.

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  Nakji-yeonpo-tang (octopus soup)

Oyster Delights

Oysters are a unique shellfish, often eaten raw or cooked in various ways.

• Angels on horseback – Oysters wrapped in bacon and then fried or broiled.
• Oyster omelette – A dish popular in Asian cuisines, made with oysters, eggs, and often vegetables.
• Oysters Rockefeller – A famous dish where oysters on the half-shell are topped with a rich sauce (often with green herbs and butter) and breadcrumbs, then baked or broiled.
• Steak and oyster pie – A savory pie combining beef steak and oysters.

Oysters Rockefeller are baked oysters topped with herbs and a rich sauce.

Shrimp Sensations

Shrimp are one of the most popular types of seafood, enjoyed worldwide.

• Prawn cocktail – A classic appetizer with cooked shrimp or prawns served with a sauce, often in a glass.

A prawn cocktail, a popular appetizer.

Squid Specialties

Squid, also known as calamari, is a versatile seafood often fried or used in stir-fries.

• Fried calamari – Deep-fried squid rings, a very popular appetizer.
• Ikameshi – A Japanese dish where squid is stuffed with rice and then cooked.
• Adobong pusit – A Filipino dish of squid cooked in vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic.

Deep fried calamari, a popular dish.

More About Seafood