Best Crab to Eat: Which Tastes Best? (2024)

FAQs

Best Crab to Eat: Which Tastes Best? ›

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

Dungeness crab has a sweet, succulent taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Dungeness crab legs are a true delicacy with a firmer texture than the body meat.

Flavor: While both varieties offer sweet, succulent meat, Alaskan snow crab clusters tend to have a milder flavor compared to the rich, buttery taste of Dungeness crab legs. Texture: Alaskan snow crab clusters feature delicate, tender meat, while Dungeness crab legs have a firmer texture that offers a satisfying bite.

Taste is subjective, but blue crab is generally regarded as sweeter and Dungeness a little more salty. Both are favorites for eating simply seasoned and steamed, off a table covered with paper, using mallets and crackers to extract the meat before dipping it in drawn butter.

Snow Crab. Like King crabs, Snow crabs have very long legs that provide a lot of their meat, which is a little more fibrous than King crab, but very tasty. Because their legs are thinner and less impressive than king crab legs, they are less popular with restaurants and thus more affordable for you.

There are many types of crab legs, but king crabs have the largest claws, making them one of the best for eating. Each claw is filled with a long, thick spear of white, sweet-tasting meat similar to lobster's flavor. The shells are difficult to crack, so it's best to use a cracking tool to get to the meat inside.

The flesh has what is considered to be a delicate flavor and slightly sweet taste. Today they are an integral part of the cuisines of California, British Columbia, and the Pacific Northwest and traditionally feature in dishes like Crab Louie or Cioppino.

King crab has an undeniable reputation for its flavor. One bite will usually turn anyone's taste bud into an undying fan. It has a sweet, mild flavor, and is often compared to lobster. Snow crab meat is also sweet, but bears a subtle briny flavor not found in king crab.

Commercially, the Red Alaska King Crab is the most sought-after king crab, but the Blue and Golden Alaska King Crabs are also popular. There is a fourth type of Alaska King Crab called the Scarlet King Crab, which isn't as well-known as the other three nor fished commercially as it's smaller and harder to find.

Why is Dungeness crab so expensive? ›

One of the main reasons why crab meat is expensive is due to the high cost of catching and processing the crabs. Crabbing is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled workers to operate specialized equipment such as crab traps and crab pots.

Blue Crab Meat: Renowned for its sweet, tender quality, perfect for dishes requiring a delicate touch. Dungeness Crab Meat: Offers a meaty texture with a subtly sweet flavor, ideal for hearty recipes. King Crab Meat: Known for its large, richly flavored legs, adding a touch of luxury to any dish.

King crab has an undeniable reputation for its flavor. One bite will usually turn anyone's taste bud into an undying fan. It has a sweet, mild flavor, and is often compared to lobster. Snow crab meat is also sweet, but bears a subtle briny flavor not found in king crab.

Snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio), often referred to as queen crab or opilio crab, is renowned for its sweet and delicate meat. These crabs boast long and spindly legs, which are packed with tender flesh.

Many believe that the female crab's meat boasts denser, sweeter flavor, but agree that the amount of meat differs. Point-to-point comparison weighs the male crab at heavier, but flakier meat. In fact, NOAA reports the heaviest male crab this last season tipped the scale at 1.1 pounds and a 10.72” point-to-point length!