Soft-shell crab is a culinary term for crabs that have recently molted their old

exoskeleton An exoskeleton (from Greek ''éxō'' "outer" and ''skeletós'' "skeleton") is an external skeleton that supports and protects an animal's body, in contrast to an internal skeleton (endoskeleton) in for example, a human. In usage, some of the ...

and are still soft. Soft-shells are removed from the water as soon as they molt or, preferably, just before to prevent any hardening of their shell. Catching soft-shell crab is very time-sensitive and requires that any caught crabs be kept in climate-controlled areas immediately after catching until they molt, at which point they can be safely removed and sold. This means that almost the entire animal can be eaten, rather than having to shell the animal to reach the meat. The exceptions are the mouthparts, the

gill A gill () is a respiratory organ that many aquatic organisms use to extract dissolved oxygen from water and to excrete carbon dioxide. The gills of some species, such as hermit crabs, have adapted to allow respiration on land provided they are ...

s and the abdomenal cover, are discarded ("cleaned"). The remaining, edible part of the crab is typically

deep fried Deep frying (also referred to as deep fat frying) is a cooking method in which food is submerged in hot fat, traditionally lard but today most commonly oil, as opposed to the shallow oil used in conventional frying done in a frying pan. Norma ...

or sautéed. In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

, the main species is the blue crab, ''

Callinectes sapidus ''Callinectes sapidus'' (from the Ancient Greek ,"beautiful" + , "swimmer", and Latin , "savory"), the blue crab, Atlantic blue crab, or regionally as the Chesapeake blue crab, is a species of crab native to the waters of the western Atlantic ...

'', which appears in markets from April to September. In the Deep South region of the United States, most notably the Gulf coasts of Louisiana and Alabama, "Buster crab" can be a synonym for a plump, meaty soft-shell crab. However, the original meaning of Buster crab referred to either a soft-shell that had yet to complete molting, or to a soft-shell that had died before being provided to a seafood vendor, and was then consumed quickly by the crabbers. In Japan, various species are used to make

sushi is a Japanese dish of prepared , usually with some sugar and salt, accompanied by a variety of , such as seafood, often raw, and vegetables. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the one key ingredient is "sushi rice," also ...

such as ''maki-zushi'' or ''temaki-zushi''. The Japanese blue crab (''

Portunus trituberculatus ''Portunus trituberculatus'', the ''gazami'' crab, South Korea's blue crab or horse crab, is the most widely fished species of crab in the world. It is found off the coasts of East Asia and is closely related to '' Portunus armatus''. Fishery ' ...

'') or the shore swimming crab (''

Charybdis japonica ''Charybdis japonica'', the Asian paddle crab, is a species of swimming crab in the family Portunidae. ''Charybdis japonica'' has a hexagonal, concave carapace around wide, the whole animal being pale green to olive green in colour. It occurs ...

'') is typically used. In

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, soft-shell crustaceans are typical in the coastal region of

Andalucia Andalusia (, ; es, Andalucía ) is the southernmost autonomous community in Peninsular Spain. It is the most populous and the second-largest autonomous community in the country. It is officially recognised as a "historical nationality". The ...

. Irrespective of the species, they are called ''chiguatos'', from the local slang verb ''achiguatar'', meaning ''to soften''. Typical preparations include

velvet crab The velvet crab, or alternately ''velvet swimming crab'', ''devil crab'', “fighter crab”, or ''lady crab,'' ''Necora puber'', is a species of crab from the North-East Atlantic and the Mediterranean. It is the largest of the swimming crab fam ...

s (''Necora puber'') and langoustines (''Nephrops norvegicus''), which are highly regarded delicacies of Sanlucar de Barrameda, and lobster (''Homarus gammarus'') (called ''langosta chiguata''), which is typical along the coast of Málaga. Typically, they are deep fried and served with a

vinaigrette Vinaigrette ( , ) is made by mixing an oil with a mild acid such as vinegar or lemon juice (citric acid). The mixture can be enhanced with salt, herbs and/or spices. It is used most commonly as a salad dressing, but can also be used as a marina ...

. In

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, the soft-shell of the common Mediterranean crab is a delicacy typical of the Venetian lagoon (called ''moeca'' or ''moeche'' in the local idiom). Soft-shell crabs can have the soft organs along the dorsal cavity removed during cleaning, or they can be left in for consumption. In the latter case, along the US Atlantic coast, the customer asks the vendor to leave "the mustard", referring to the yellow-orange color of the

hepatopancreas The hepatopancreas, digestive gland or midgut gland is an organ of the digestive tract of arthropods and molluscs. It provides the functions which in mammals are provided separately by the liver and pancreas, including the production of digestive ...

, and the deep orange of the roe in a female crab.

References

{{Edible crustaceans Crab dishes Edible crustaceans Commercial crustaceans

See also

References