What it means
میگو (meygu) is the everyday Farsi word for shrimp and prawn, the small, pink crustaceans prized as seafood around the world. The word is native Persian, not borrowed from Arabic or Turkic. Dehkhoda describes it as a small marine arthropod, sometimes called ملخ دریایی (malakh-e daryâyi, sea locust) in classical texts. In colloquial speech میگو always means shrimp or prawn and is closely related in concept to خرچنگ (kharchang, crab), which is larger and has prominent claws.
How to use it
- میگو یه غذای دریایی محبوبه. (meygu ye ghazâ-ye daryâyi mahbube.) “Shrimp is a popular seafood.”
- میگو پلو یه غذای جنوبیه. (meygu polo ye ghazâ-ye jonubiye.) “Shrimp rice is a southern dish.”
- میگو رو با سیر و روغن تفت بده. (meygu ro bâ sir va roghan taft bede.) “Saute the shrimp with garlic and oil.”
- میگوهای بزرگ رو ازونا بخر. (meyguhâ-ye bozorg ro azunâ bekhar.) “Buy the big prawns from there.”
Cultural note
میگو is central to the cuisine of southern Iran, particularly in Bushehr, Khuzestan, and Hormozgân provinces along the Persian Gulf. The dish میگو پلو (meygu polo), shrimp cooked with rice and aromatic spices including fenugreek and dried limes, is considered a signature southern Persian recipe and is served at celebrations and family gatherings. Iran is also a significant producer of farmed shrimp, with aquaculture operations in Sistan-Baluchestan supplying both domestic markets and regional exports. The word میگو appears in modern Iranian cookbooks and food media far more than in classical texts, reflecting its place as a practical, everyday food term.