Crab Eating 101 - Story by Tina Wagner and Photography by Robert Tinari

Crab Eating 101

Story by Tina Wagner and Photography by Robert Tinari

Crabs are as unique to Maryland as tumbleweeds are to Texas. For those of us born and raised in the region we were taught to eat this crustaceous delicacy somewhere between walking and talking. For native Southern Marylanders eating a crab is just plain second nature.

Imagine though if you were transplanted here from some faraway place in this world as is the case for many of the people who have come to call Southern Maryland home. Then consider how you would feel when someone placed a crab before you. If you have never been face to face with a callinectes sapidus then you may be quite shocked that someone would be suggesting you actually eat it. Perhaps you are one of those who is willing to give anything a try, with crab eating being no exception to your adventurous spirit. So you say to your gracious host, "Bring it on," and he does. Then what?

Welcome to crab eating 101. For those of you who get right down to business with your crab eating you may feel there is nothing about eating crabs you aren't already an expert at. On the other hand you may be from Nebraska and facing an invitation to your neighbor's crab feast next Sunday. Either way we assure you there is something to be learned by considering the following steps of eating a Maryland blue crab.

Where you eat your crabs and who you eat them with is almost as important as how they are cooked. Crab eating is a social event in most families. The rule the more the merrier definitely applies to crab feasting. Keep in mind that a good estimate of how many crabs to get for each person is generally around six to eight, however, it does depend on the appetites of the people you are feeding.

Because crab eating can be just a little messy where you choose to eat them is always important. A picnic table or eating area removed from the house is always good because then the mess and any associated crabby smell is outside. The crab eating "leftover mess" is not often very pretty and the last place you want it is in your house. We are talking about dorsal fins, smashed claws and gobs and gobs of unwanted "mustard," (though there are some who eat this) not to mention the mounds of empty shells.

Make sure to cover your eating area with newspaper before you begin. In local crabhouses you will see the landmark brown paper torn from a roll covering each table. Covering your table will make the clean-up process much easier we promise.

On the table you should have a wooden mallet, mainly for claw cracking, and small little cups with vinegar or melted butter for dunking. (Some folks keep Old Bay on hand to spice up the vinegar.) Make sure there is plenty of ice cold something to drink as well. Beer of course is generally the local favorite. Finally, something for handwiping will be necessary for when the picking is over. Another good idea is to have some Southern Maryland corn on the cob cooking as a side dish to the crabs. (Just to be sure that no one walks away from the table hungry.)

Now that the table is all ready you can get started. Hopefully your crabs are freshly steamed just awaiting you to indulge. If you are a neophyte at all of this you must be brave as you approach the first actual step of eating the crab. Reach in the pile and pick it up grabbing it by the body. Break the claws off of the body and set the body aside. Use the mallet to crack the claws. Cracking it at just the right spot will reveal the meat that you have labored so hard for. Dunk the meat into whatever condiment you desire and eat the meat directly from the claw. Then remove the remaining legs, break in half and simply eat the meat. A warning though, the meat from the legs yield little fruit for the effort so generally a seasoned eater won't waste much time with them and will move directly on to the next step.

Now pick up your legless crab and prepare to open it. Turn the crab over so that you see its "apron" on the underbelly. Observe the pull tab and lift it back from the rest of the shell. Pull it all of the way back so that it is removed completely from the crab. What you see once you separate the shells may startle you if it is a sight you have never encountered, but fear not it might not look so good but just wait until you taste it.

Before you reap the benefits of your hard work you must rid the shell in your hands of the miscellaneous "stuff" that most people do not eat. This includes the previously mentioned "mustard," and the lungs which are generally referred to as (and this is really appetizing) "dead mans fingers." Simply scrape it out of the shell and move on to the next step.

It is most important now that you break your cleaned crab in half. Just split it right down the middle. Once you do this you will reveal the crab meat. This is what you have been working for.

Finally you have arrived. It is now time to pick the meat you can now see peaking out of the membranes of the crab. Some daintier crab eaters will use a fork, but really, your fingers do the best job. Pick and dunk once again into the condiment of your choice and you are well on your way to enjoying a true Southern Maryland crab feast.

Seasoned eater or not crabs are a lot of work but most anyone born and raised in this region of the United States will probably agree that eating a Maryland blue crab is definitely worth the effort.

Editor's Note: We also have a How-to Guide to Eating Crabs and Shucking Oysters in our dining section.