Camarón vs. gamba vs. langostino
The Spanish words camarón, gamba, and langostino all translate to shrimp or prawn in English, but their usage depends largely on the size of the crustacean and the geographical region. Understanding the distinction helps immensely when navigating seafood menus in Spain versus Latin America.
Camarón
The word camarón typically refers to very small shrimp. In Spain, it specifically describes tiny, almost translucent shrimp used in specific regional dishes. However, in most of Latin America, camarón is the universal, catch-all term for shrimp of almost any commercial size.
Ayer comimos un cóctel de camarón fresco en la playa.
(Yesterday we ate a fresh shrimp cocktail on the beach.)
Las tortillitas de camarones son muy típicas de la costa de Andalucía.
(Shrimp fritters are very typical of the Andalusian coast.)
Necesito comprar medio kilo de camarón crudo para hacer el ceviche.
(I need to buy half a kilo of raw shrimp to make the ceviche.)
El pescador atrapó un camarón pequeño que se coló en la red.
(The fisherman caught a small shrimp that slipped into the net.)
Para la cena pedimos una pizza grande con camarón y extra queso.
(For dinner we ordered a large pizza with shrimp and extra cheese.)
Gamba
The term gamba refers to medium-sized shrimp or prawns and is predominantly used in Spain. If you travel to Spain, this is the most common word you will see on tapas menus, whereas the word is rarely, if ever, used in Latin America.
Las gambas al ajillo son mi tapa favorita cuando salgo de bares.
(Garlic prawns are my favorite tapa when I go out to bars.)
Pelar la gamba con las manos es la mejor manera de disfrutar su sabor.
(Peeling the prawn with your hands is the best way to enjoy its flavor.)
Compré unas gambas congeladas en el supermercado para echarlas al arroz.
(I bought some frozen prawns at the supermarket to throw into the rice.)
El chef del restaurante siempre recomienda pedir la gamba roja del Mediterráneo.
(The restaurant chef always recommends ordering the Mediterranean red prawn.)
Vamos a preparar una ración de gambas a la plancha con un poco de sal gruesa.
(We are going to prepare a portion of grilled prawns with a little coarse salt.)
Langostino
A langostino is a large prawn, significantly bigger and meatier than a gamba or camarón. This word is widely understood in both Spain and Latin America, often reserved for large, premium prawns served whole at special events, holiday meals, or high-end restaurants.
En la cena de Navidad siempre servimos una bandeja enorme de langostinos.
(At Christmas dinner we always serve a huge tray of large prawns.)
El langostino a la parrilla tiene un sabor espectacular si le añades limón.
(The grilled large prawn has a spectacular flavor if you add lemon to it.)
Fuimos a un restaurante de mariscos y pedimos una paella llena de langostinos.
(We went to a seafood restaurant and ordered a paella full of large prawns.)
Para esta receta necesitas limpiar bien el langostino quitando la vena central negra.
(For this recipe you need to clean the large prawn well by removing the black central vein.)
Los langostinos tigre son muy apreciados en la gastronomía por su increíble tamaño.
(Tiger prawns are highly appreciated in gastronomy due to their incredible size.)
Summary
To summarize, use camarón for small shrimp in Spain or as the general, everyday word for any shrimp in Latin America. Opt for gamba when talking about or ordering medium-sized prawns in Spain. Choose langostino in any Spanish-speaking country when specifically referring to a large, meaty, premium prawn.