“Scampi” in American English?

Question

Is scampi the common name used for the kind of shrimp in the picture in American English? Or is there an alternative common name for it? I ask because some Americans don't really know the word when I mention it to them.

Answer 1

That species (the Norwegian lobster) is known as either scampi (always in the plural in English for some reason) or langoustine, if the method of preparation is French. In North American usage, scampi is also often used for prawn prepared according to Italian recipes (the term is also somewhat interchangeable in Italy).

The word isn't unknown, but the little lobsters (they're not shrimp) are nearly so; shrimp, prawn, various larger species of lobster (American lobster served whole, or spiny lobster served as "lobster tails"), and crayfish (freshwater lobster) are much more common in North America -- we have substantial fisheries for all of them here. "Foodies" will know what scampi are, but most people will either not know the word or associate it with the shrimp dish at the local Italian restaurant.