botan shrimp; Pandalus nipponensis
A species of shrimp found in northern Japan, prized as sashimi and sushi. The name comes from the flower-like pattern on its shell.
In Hokkaido, botan shrimp sashimi is a local specialty.
This botan shrimp is very sweet and delicious.
甘海老 (Pandalus borealis) is a smaller, sweeter shrimp often served raw. 牡丹海老 is larger and has a more distinct pattern on its shell.
Standard kanji spelling; 海老 is the usual kanji for 'shrimp' in this compound.
Alternate kanji spelling using 蝦, which also means 'shrimp' but is less common than 海老.
Compound of 牡丹 (botan, 'peony') and 海老 (ebi, 'shrimp'), referring to the peony-like pattern on the shrimp's shell.