Decades ago, people thought of crabs as the cockroaches of the sea and only eaten by poor families. Now, chefs and foodies alike view crab as a delicacy!

There are more than 6,700 species of crab (that we know about) inhabiting waters around the world, but some are poisonous, so make sure you know which species you are eating.

If you are about to try your hand at eating crab for the first time or if you have tried, but never got the hang of it, we’ve got your back! Keep reading to learn how to eat crabs, what tools you need (yes, tools), and how to prepare it.

Preparation and Toolkit for Crab Crackin’

The first thing you need when preparing crab is… crab! If you have a favorite grocery store or fishmonger, you can pick up your crab nearby. If you don’t want to (or can’t find) crab nearby, you can order fresh crab and other seafood online from www.crabdynasty.com and have it delivered to your door!

With your crab catch procured, it’s time to cook them! Add your favorite seasonings in a good layer around the crab, then steam them. Watch for cues of doneness like when blue crabs turn fire engine red.

Now that you have steamed your crabs, it’s time to set the table. Crab cracking is very messy, no matter how careful you are! Cover your whole table in a tablecloth you don’t mind getting possible oil stains from liquified butter or other crab related stains.

The crab cracking tool kit is different for everyone. You can choose a fancy crab pick or decorative crab mallet if that suits you. For a basic crab consuming arsenal, you will need a small crab mallet/ hammer, a dull knife (like a butter knife), and a claw cracker (a walnut cracker will suffice as well).

If you intend on eating the crab meat right away, also prepare clarified butter or any other sauce you may want to dip the crab meat into. Once you get into the crab shell, you won’t want to touch other things in your kitchen because crab cracking is a messy business!

How to Eat Crabs of All Shapes and Sizes

No matter which species of (edible) crab you are eating or how big it is, getting into the shell in the most efficient way is the same for every crab you’ll ever touch! For your first couple tries though, try to grab a medium to large crab so there is plenty of meat to pull out. Smaller crabs make it difficult to get the meat out of the smaller crevices.

Claws and Legs

The first thing you want to do is remove the legs (8 total) and claws (2) from the body. Grasp each leg with your hand and twist as you pull the leg away from the body. If that is too difficult, try using your butter knife by inserting it into the joint where the leg meets the body before twisting it off with your hand.

There is not much meat in the legs, so those can go into the refuse pile. Don’t even worry about cracking those little guys open!

Unlike the legs, the crab claws have a good bit of meat and are very tasty! If you clean out the claw the right way, you will notice a bit of cartilage connected to the mobile part of the claw. You can wiggle that cartilage and manipulate the claw as the crab would have when it was in the ocean!

Breaking the Body

Turn the body of the crab over so the underbelly faces you. You will notice a tab looking structure called the apron. Remove that tab by folding it back and snapping it off at the base.

Now, grasp the top shell in one hand and the belly in your other and pull off the top shell as if you were separating two halves of a coconut. Take your time here so none of the meat sticks to the top shell, then toss it into the shell pile.

Once you have the softer body separated from the shell, snap the body into two pieces using your hands. Again, if this is too difficult, use the dull knife to assist.

Meat Picking

At this point, you have exposed all the crab meat and discarded the hard shell and inedible parts. It’s time to eat! Grab a crab pick, fork, or your fingers and start working out the crab meat!

Some meat will get into little nooks and crannies. If you prefer to get most of the meat out with your fingers, you may want a fork or crab pick for these little chambers.

Don’t forget the claws you set aside earlier! Use your cracker or mallet to smash the hard shell around the claw. You may want to do this several times up and down the claw shell for easier removal.

Let’s Get Crackin’

Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be teaching everyone else in the party how to eat crabs! It’s a breeze for those who practice!

Don’t go overboard though! Too much crab (and the melted butter it’s served with) is not good for your body.

We hope you loved reading this article and that you learned a thing or two about cracking some crab shells! If you want more information and tips about food, diet, and a healthy lifestyle, check out the rest of our blog posts today!