food and beverage

Thank goodness for the lowly blue crab.

What would our epicurean lives be without this deliciously savory crustacean. Yet often they do not get the respect they deserve.

These small bluish crustaceans are harvested from the mid Atlantic region crab fishery in Chesapeake Bay to Florida and along the Gulf states as far west as Texas. In its scientific name
calli is Greek for "beautiful"
nectes for "swimmer"
and sapidus is Latin for "savory".

Most crabs
except the luxurious King Crab
live out their meek and humble lives in the shadow of the lobster
the king of seafood. Yet for those in the know
that is ok because that just means more for us
right? Seriously
where would 'imperial' be without blue crab meat and delicious 'Maryland Style' be without tender and tasty blue crabs? Ah yes
many nights spent in bittersweet joy
after having your fill at the dinner table with those lowly crustaceans. Slurping
picking and dipping those juicy morsels through butter
old bay
or whatever seasonings you prefer
all the while feeling so sorry for those pitiful crabs that get no respect.

Let's pick on the blue crab some more shall we? All puns intended and accepted.

Some will say that they hate to pick out the meat because it is so much work for very little crab meat. Well in a way their complaint is justified. Typically the blue crab will yield only 10% to 15% of it's body weight in crab meat. The crabs grow by molting or shedding their shell and growing back a larger one. Just prior to molting
the crab will be encased in both the soft
new shell which is forming underneath the hard old shell. The formation of a new shell is evident along the margins of the swimming paddles of a crab. The crab is referred to as a "peeler" or "shedder". Immediately after the molt
the crab's new shell is soft
pliable and easily stretched. At this time the crab would be referred to as a " soft shelled crab". Many crab lovers will only eat a soft shell
which is simply a delightful dish when lightly tossed in flour and pan fried.

Types of Crabmeat:

• Lump is from the largest pieces of meat from the body
adjacent to the backfin and is the most expensive form of crabmeat.

• Backfin is the white body meat including lump and large flakes and is used for crab cakes and crab imperial.

• Special are flakes of white body meat other than lump and is used for crab cakes
soups
dips and casseroles.

• Claw meat is brownish meat from the claws and is best for dips and soups.

Some more Blue Crab facts:

• Callinectes sapidus means "Beautiful swimmer that is savory".
• Crabs reach maturity in 12 to 18 months.
• Few crabs live longer than 3 years.
• The largest crab recorded from Maryland was a male measuring 9 inches; however bigger crabs (10-11 inches) have been captured.
• The annual harvest of hard crabs from Chesapeake Bay accounts for over 50% of total U.S. landings.
• Cannibalism of young blue crabs by larger crabs is common and may regulate population abundance.
• A spring-spawned crab can reach a size of 2ฝ inches by their first winter.

Serve and enjoy blue crabs at your next party or cook-out and guarantee yourself the adoration of an appreciative group of seafood lovers. Finally
don't feel sorry for the blue crab
they get more respect than they know.