What is Snow Crab? A Deep Dive into This Delicate Yet Meaty Seafood Delicacy

With its sweet, delicate meat and easier-to-crack shells, snow crab is a favorite seafood for many. But there’s a lot more to this crustacean than just its claw meat. Here’s a deep dive into what exactly snow crab is and what makes it such an iconic food.

Snow crab refers to a species of crab with the scientific name Chionoecetes opilio that lives in the cold, icy waters of the northern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. It goes by many other names such as Queen crab, Spider crab, Tanner crab, Bairdi crab, Opilio crab, and more based on slight variations in species, harvest locations, and local names.

Snow crab is considered a true crab, belonging to the Brachyura infraorder, which contains all “true” crabs. Its distinctive features include:

Long, thin legs that can span almost 5 feet tip-to-tip.
A fan-shaped carapace (shell) that can grow up to 6 inches wide.
Delicate white meat with a sweet, briny flavor.
Light brown shell that is thinner and easier to break than king crab shells.
Average weight of 4-8 pounds fully grown.
Life span of up to 20 years.

Snow crab is commercially fished and sold whole or as clusters, legs, and meat It provides a more affordable and accessible alternative to king crab, especially for soft shell crabs

Key Facts and Characteristics

Here are some key facts and biological traits that characterize snow crabs:

Found at depths of 130-2000 feet in the Northwest Atlantic and Bering Sea.
Prefer muddy, sandy sea floors with temperatures below 42°F.
Molt their shell to grow. New shells take time to harden leaving them vulnerable.
Prized for their long, thin legs compared to chunky king crab legs.
Only male snow crabs of a certain size can be legally harvested.
Meat has a subtle sweetness and is moderately firm yet flaky.
Delicate flavor works well in a variety of dishes beyond shellfish boils.
Provide an excellent source of lean protein, vitamins, and antioxidants.
Sold fresh, canned, frozen, pasteurized, and pre-cooked.
Fresh snow crab meat lasts 2-3 days refrigerated. It can be frozen for 4-6 months.

Snow Crab vs. King Crab

Snow and king crab have many overlaps as crustaceans but also some key differences:

Taste – King crab is sweeter while snow crab is more briny.
Texture – Snow crab meat is flaky while king crab is dense.
Legs – King crab legs are thick while snow crab legs are long and thin.
Shell – Snow crab shells are thinner and easier to break.
Size – King crabs grow much larger than snow crabs.
Price – Snow crab costs less pound for pound than king crab.
Harvesting – Only male snow crabs can be legally caught unlike king crab.
Versatility – Flaky snow crab meat works better in some dishes like crab cakes.

So while king crab may be considered the more premium option, snow crab offers greater affordability, accessibility, and versatility for everyday seafood lovers.

Snow Crab Harvesting and Sustainability

Snow crab fisheries employ various methods to ensure sustainability:

Only male crabs of a certain size can be caught. Smaller females and juveniles are left to reproduce.
Pots and traps are designed to catch crabs of legal size. Undersized crabs can escape.
Fisheries are carefully managed with harvest quotas, season and area restrictions.
Bycatch of other species is minimized through regulated equipment.
Fishermen must report all catch data including undersized discards.
Independent observers onboard boats monitor adherence to regulations.
Strict sanitation guidelines minimize disease spread during handling.
Crab pots must have biodegradable escape panels if lost.
Research continues on improving population models and fishing methods.

Following scientific guidelines prevents overfishing and allows snow crab populations to remain sustainable for the long term.

How Snow Crabs Are Caught and Processed

Commercial snow crab fishing involves several key steps:

Crab pots or traps are set on the seafloor attached to buoys on long lines. Lines can have hundreds of pots.
Bait inside the pots lure crabs to enter through a funnel-like opening.
Crabs cannot easily exit once inside, allowing pots to be hauled up full of crabs.
Pots are pulled up and emptied of crabs onto the ship’s sorting table.
Crabs are sexed, measured, and sorted based on regulations. Undersized crabs and bycatch are returned to the sea.
Legal male crabs are processed onboard or transported live to processing plants.
Legs are manually detached by fishermen at special joints where they can regrow. This is called declawing.
Freshly harvested meat is packaged, frozen, and shipped overnight to retailers and consumers.

Advancements in pot designs, bait formulas, handling practices, and storage have improved quality and efficiency greatly over traditional methods.

How to Buy Snow Crab

When shopping for snow crab, here are some tips:

Whole Crabs – Choose crabs that feel heavy for their size. Avoid cracked or dented shells.
Legs – Opt for legs that are translucent white rather than yellowish. Watch for leg meat pulling away from the shell.
Clusters – Look for clusters with minimal broken shell pieces mixed in. Irregular sizes are normal.
Meat – Ensure meat has a fresh smell and creamy white color without dark spots.
Frozen – Select solidly frozen packages without crystals or frost buildup. Avoid condensation or stickiness once thawed.
Canned – Pick cans that are not bulging or heavily dented. Use canned meat right away once opened.

Buying fresh and handling properly is key to enjoying snow crab at optimal quality.

How to Prepare and Eat Snow Crab

Snow crab can be prepared in many ways:

Boiling – Drop legs into boiling water seasoned with spices like Old Bay. Cook 5-8 minutes just until opaque.
Steaming – Place legs in a steamer basket over boiling water. Steam for 4-6 minutes until meat is flaky.
Sautéing – Sauté chopped meat in butter or oil with garlic, herbs, and lemon.
Baking – Mix meat with breadcrumbs, egg, and seasoning. Form into cakes and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.
Salads – Toss flaked meat with lettuce, veggies, aioli dressing, or citrus vinaigrette.
Pastas – Fold meat into hot pasta along with sauce ingredients like white wine, tomatoes, garlic, and Parmesan.
Soups – Add clusters or meat during the end of cooking shellfish bisques, seafood stews, and chowders.

In terms of cracking and eating, snow crab legs are easier to manage than king crab:

Use a mallet, cracker, or shrimp fork to break open the thinner leg and body shells.
Legs can be easily broken into smaller sections compared to bulky king crab legs.
Flaky meat pulls apart into bite-sized pieces with less effort once the shell is open.

Snow Crab Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits

Snow crab offers an excellent nutritional profile:

Low calorie with only 84 calories per 3 ounce serving.
High in lean protein at 16 grams per serving to support muscle growth and energy.
Rich in vitamins like selenium, niacin, and B12 for immunity, metabolism, nerve function, and DNA production.
Provides minerals like zinc, copper, potassium, phosphorus, and magnesium.
High in antioxidant carotenoids, astaxanthins, and omega-3s that reduce inflammation.
Considered heart-healthy due to high protein, low fat, and omega-3 content.
Cholesterol-lowering ability compared to other animal proteins. Contains 155 mg per serving.

Snow crab can be enjoyed regularly as part of a healthy seafood-focused diet. Just watch your portion sizes as it’s easy to overeat!

Common Snow Crab Dishes

Here are some iconic dishes that highlight snow crab:

Crab legs – Simply boiled or steamed legs split open at the table. Served with melted butter, lemon wedges, and shellfish tools.
Seafood boils – A low country classic with crab, shrimp, mussels, corn, and potatoes steamed in crab boil seasoning.
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what is snow crab

Alaska | Super Jumbo

Snow Crab is a favorite amongst crab lovers. But there are so many kinds of crab that it can be hard to tell them apart and get what you want. Also, all crabs are interesting, so it’s good to know some fun facts about them to share at your next crab feast. Here’s everything you’ve ever wanted to know about snow crab:

Snow crab is often called “queen crab”

We already told you that we love king crab, but snow crab is almost as big, which is why it’s sometimes called “queen crab.” ” While snow crab legs are smaller than king crab legs, they are still impressive. There is a big difference in size between these two types of crabs. A fully grown king crab weighs 12 to 15 pounds, while a fully grown snow crab weighs only 5 to 7 pounds.

Only male snow crabs can be legally harvested

The shells of male snow crabs can get up to 6 inches wide, but the shells of female snow crabs are usually less than 3 inches wide. Because of this difference in size, it is only legal to catch male crabs of a certain size, and you can’t crab at all during the mating and molting season. These measures are designed to prevent overfishing and encourage sustainability, allowing snow crabs to continue reproducing. There are also harvest limits set every year — and all crabbing stops once the limits are reached.

Like king crabs, snow crabs have a long lifespan

When not harvested, snow crabs can live for an estimated 20 years.

There are three general areas to source snow crabs:

Alaska, the coast of Japan, and Canada down to the coast of Maine. Alaskan snow crabs are our favorite, and they usually come from the Bering, Beaufort, and Chukchi seas.

Snow crabs grow by molting

In order to grow to their full size, snow crabs shed their old shell and grow another. In between these stages of growth, the snow crab’s shell stays soft, making it more likely to be eaten. That’s why harvesting is prohibited during molting season.

Snow crab shells are easier to crack than king crab shells

Since their shells are thinner than king crabs, snow crabs are often easier to eat and enjoy. However, like we always say, with the right tools, any crab leg is crack-able.

Snow crab meat tends to be slightly more fibrous

While king crab meat is delicate, snow crab meat is more fibrous and easily broken apart. Snow crab makes great crab cakes because of this, but it’s also tasty just picked out of the shell.

Are you a fan of king crab but have never tried snow crab legs? Now is a great time to find out which you like better. Just don’t forget to tell us what you think!.

Facts: The Snow Crab

What is snow crab?

The snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) is a commercially valuable species that thrive in the cold waters of the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans. Not only do they provide substantial economic advantages to countries like the United States, Canada, Russia and Japan but are also a crucial component of marine ecosystems.

What does snow crab taste like?

Snow crab is named for its meat, which turns from red to snowy white and has a sweet, subtly briny flavor when cooked. The texture is firm and fibrous, easily shredding into pieces. Snow crab leg shells are breakable enough for simply cracking open with your hands.

What is the difference between snow crab and king crab?

While snow crabs have long legs and thinner shells, king crabs also have thicker, spikier shells. As for taste — while both crab species have an excellent balance of sweet, mild fish flavors, snow crab legs have a slightly more briny taste and delicate texture, while King Crab legs are meatier, with a texture more comparable to that of lobster.

How big do Snow crabs grow?

Snow crabs reach an average of 2 to 4 pounds and have extraordinarily long legs with thinner shells. They reside in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, preferring the deep, cold water conditions of these northern seas. The harvesting season for Snow crabs starts in late fall and extends as long as early summer.