A lot of Americans think they don’t have accents, and I used to think the same thing until I moved away from Maryland after high school.
I grew up between Washington, DC, and Baltimore, and my family has roots in the Chesapeake Bay that go back at least four generations. That’s how I know that Maryland doesn’t have many nationally recognized cultural icons, but the Chesapeake Bay blue crab is one of them. Marylanders are also very picky about how the crab is prepared. There are only three ways that people will accept it: deep-fried softshell on a sandwich; fried up as a crab cake with very little filler; or steamed with Old Bay, picked by hand, and dipped in melted butter.
When I left my hometown and saw other crustaceans being called “crab,” my first thought was, “Man, that’s not crab.”
But you know what? I love all kinds of seafood, so I finally agreed that there were probably other kinds of crab that were tasty. So I took it upon myself to try out Alaskas most famous seafood exports: the Alaskan king crab.
Most crabs like to hang out and eat in the muddy ocean floor, and the king crab is no different. When it’s young, it stays near the coast of the Bering Sea, which is between Russia and Alaska. But when it gets older, it likes to go out into the open ocean, about 600 feet below the surface.
The long-running Discovery reality show Deadliest Catch may have made you familiar with king crab. Commercial fishermen are the real deal, and the North Pacific is no different. It’s not cheap to buy king crab because it’s not cheap to catch. You can order king crab legs online, but they’re also sold in grocery stores with a good seafood section. (I got mine at a Whole Foods in Raleigh, NC. ).
If you buy it somewhere, you probably won’t get fake crab legs, so you can be pretty sure you’re not getting that. You will have to buy them frozen unless you live near a crabbing community. This is because the crabs are usually cooked and then frozen right away on the boats or when they get back to shore. I didn’t need to feed a lot of people, so I had the guy just cut off a couple. They’re usually sold by the cluster.
King crab is a prized delicacy, especially the meaty legs But you’ll notice that typically only the legs of the king crab are served So why can’t you eat the body and other parts? There are some valid reasons why king crab legs are the star of the show.
Inedible Parts
Several parts of the king crab contain little meat or are inedible
-
The body shell is not meant to be cracked open for meat. It contains the crab’s organs and innards.
-
The gills are not eaten since they filter seawater.
-
The mouth area contains the crab’s stomach and digestive system.
-
The leg tips have very minimal meat and are discarded.
Trying to extract the small amount of meat from these parts is difficult and not worthwhile. The legs are where the most abundant, tasty meat is found.
Difficulty of Processing
Getting to the meat inside a king crab’s body and claws takes more effort compared to the legs. The body shell is harder to break through. The claws need to be cracked at multiple points to access the meat pockets. Legs can be quickly cracked open with relative ease.
For commercial fishermen hauling in large catches of king crab, processing only the legs maximizes efficiency. The time and labor required to extract every last bit of meat is not practical or cost-effective. Legs are simple to detach and pack.
Meat Yield
A king crab’s legs make up over half of its total body weight. Each leg is packed with sizable meat segments. The body does contain a substantial amount of meat, but it takes more work for less yield compared to the legs. Fishermen can get more poundage by processing only legs.
The meat also tends to be finer and flakier in the body and claws. The legs feature large, succulent chunks. For serving ease and presentation, the leg meat stands out.
Claw Meat Drawbacks
While claws do contain some quality meat, it has a few drawbacks compared to leg meat:
-
Smaller meat pieces in the narrow claw shape
-
Tendon running through the center is tougher
-
Risk of shell fragments in the meat
-
Labor intensive to extract meat
The premium leg meat has better texture, bite, and integrity for serving. Working with legs only simplifies prep work for crab fishermen and cooks.
Customer Preference
Tradition plays a role too. American consumers overwhelmingly expect king crab to be served as legs. Since king crab is prized for its legs, suppliers focus efforts on meeting this demand. Efficiently processing legs makes king crab more affordable.
Leg meat also offers versatility in cooking and serving. The intact segments can be boiled, steamed, baked, or grilled. Legs can be cracked before or after cooking. The premium chunks of meat impress on the plate.
Sustainability
Processing only the legs helps maintain healthy king crab populations. Overfishing had previously depleted king crab stocks. Strict fishing regulations now limit the harvest. Removing only the high-yielding legs reduces waste and the number of crabs taken.
So while king crab bodies do contain meat, the legs became the standard for practical and economic reasons. Focusing on the premium leg meat minimizes waste, labor, and cost while satisfying customer demand. Sustainable fishing practices ensure a future supply of these luxurious crustacean legs.
How-To: Simple preparation of Alaska king crab legs
A thaw overnight in the fridge was enough to have them ready for lunch the next day.
It’s fine to eat the meat cold or hot, and there are several mild ways to heat it up, most of which use steam.
My legs were slapped onto a sheet pan with a thin layer of warm water on top. The pan was then tightly covered in foil and put in an oven set to 350 degrees for eight minutes. All I needed was to heat it through, and this was perfect.
I wanted the king crab meat to stand out since it was my first time cooking it, so melted butter and lemon juice were the only things that went with it.
If you know anything about blue crabs, you know that their main claws are very sharp. So I got out my old reliable crab mallet and a cute hand-carved spreading knife that my wife and I got as a wedding gift from a friend in Kodiak.
(It turn out that no tools are necessary, since the shells yield pretty easily to firm pressure.)
A dip in the butter…
Why does everyone only eat the legs of a king crab? #seafood #crab #yummy
FAQ
Why do we only eat king crab legs?
What parts of a king crab can you eat?
Are there parts of a crab you can’t eat?
Can you eat the whole crab or just the legs?
Where do king crab legs come from?
King crab legs, which typically come from long-legged Alaskan king crabs, are a delicacy that can instantly elevate any meal. These otherworldly creatures can reach leg spans of up to 6 feet. Their natural habitat is in and near the Bering Strait, the body of water between the US and Russia.
Can crab meat be consumed as part of a diabetic diet?
Yes, you can. Crab meat has mineral proteins, is rich in calcium, manganese, zinc and polyunsaturated fatty acids from the omega 3 series, which have several beneficial effects, such as lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and preventing complications resulting from diabetes.
Can you eat king crab legs?
If you are eating Dungeness or snow crab legs, tools like scissors and a wooden mallet may be all you need to crack through the shells. King crabs have a harder outer shell, so you may need a crab cracker and gloves or a dish towel to break through the spiny shell. 2. Steam Your Crab Properly Crab legs generally come frozen.
How many legs does a king crab have?
The anatomy of King crab consists of shoulders, merus, legs, claws, joints, tips, spines and a carapace (or body). Unlike other crabs, king crabs have only six versus eight legs, and two claws. The body, or carapace, section of king crabs is typically sent to canners while the legs are separated and served individually.