What Is A Queen Crab? Is It Edible? (Explained)

Queen crab, also known as snow crab, is a crab from the genus family of Chinoecetes. The meat of a queen crab is edible, and it is indeed very tasty. It is famous worldwide and is used as food in many restaurants.

The crab claws are very sharp, so usually, a crab basket is used to contain them. In your local store, you’ll mostly find clusters of crab legs as compared to whole crabs.

That’s why you’ll have to look for an online store to buy crabs. Nonetheless, a cluster of crab legs is also very tasty if cooked properly.

It is also used in hotpots and sushi. Though there are a bit pricey for the normal individual to buy so, we suggest only eating this at a restaurant where the chef knows what they are doing as you will have to experiment with the cooking process yourself.

Let’s look into the details of queen crab.

Queen Crab

Is Queen Crab Edible?

Is Queen Crab Edible

Not only queen crab but crabs, in general, are scarcely used in the food of a normal person, so it is quite normal to ask whether crabs are edible. While crab can look pretty dangerous, crab meat is considered one of the tastiest types of meats out there. 

Many chefs serve them as crab dip, crab pretzel and, crab stuffed salmon, which is one of the best recipes for crabs. Hot sauce goes well with crabs.

Note that most seafood boils while cooking, which is probably the best way to eat it.

Yes, crabs are edible. In fact, their meat is so delicious that it is considered a delicacy food.

The next question you might have in mind is that the queen crabs are all shells. Where is the meat? Well, the meat is hidden underneath the shells. In crabs, there are two types of meat:

  • White Meat: Crab has white meat, which is found in its’ claws and mostly in the body shell. It is a bit mild in taste.
  • Brown Meat: Crabs also have brown meat, which is hidden underneath the main shell, and this is the most delicious part of the crab, as explained by food experts.

Where Is Queen Crab Found?

Where Is Queen Crab Found

Catching a queen crab is a difficult task. Not only queen crabs but other crabs such as giant crab and king crab are also very difficult to catch as they are not around yearly.

Queen crabs live in muddy areas, mostly shores of seas, but sometimes can also be found in the sea. They prefer the temperatures of the climate around -1 and 11 Celcius. They don’t survive in temperatures more the 4 C, which is why they aren’t found in the warmer regions of the world.

Queen crabs are caught in the months of January and February, while a king crab is normally caught in the seasons of November and December.

Queen crabs are mainly found in the Atlantic ocean and mainly towards the northern sea. Alaska and Russia are at the forefront of catching and shipping these crabs globally.

What Is The Size Of A Queen Crab?

An adult queen crab, also known as snow crab, weighs around 3 kg. If we compare it to other species of crabs, such as a king crab, we’ll find it among the smaller crabs out there. A normal adult king crab weighs around 5 kg which is a lot more than a queen crab.

What Is The Price Of Queen Crab?

The prices of crabs are higher if you compare them to chicken or beef. The reason for this is that there aren’t any farms that grow these crabs.

Fishers go out in the sea to capture these crabs, and this is no easy feat. They are also found on the beach, and their pincers are very dangerous.

Moreover, queen crabs and other crabs are found seasonally, meaning they aren’t available throughout the year. A simple average shows that queen crab is only found in the months of January and February.

The price of an average snow crab is around $25 per pound. If you compare it to king crab, it is a lot cheaper as king crab costs around 200$ or more per pound. Still, the price of queen crab is a lot more if we are to compare it with other meats such as fish, chicken, or beef.

How To Cook And Eat Queen Crab?

How To Cook And Eat Queen Crab

Queen crabs, king crabs, and other crabs are usually cooked when they are caught. They are then frozen and shipped to stores. Therefore, you don’t have to cook the crab for too long as it is already cooked; you need to cook it for around 5 minutes before eating it.

There are many ways a crab can be eaten. In Asia, crabs are eaten either raw or by putting them in hotpots. Do not leave the crabs in the hotpot for too long as the meat will dry out and become tasteless.

You can also pouch the crabs. The best way to eat pouched crabs is to pouch them in butter. This gives them a better and greater taste.

You’ll also need a crab cutter in hand when you are eating crabs as the shell is hard to break with just hands and teeth. This is true, especially with king crabs. The shells of snow crabs are a lot brittle and lighter, so you can simply use your hands and teeth.

Lastly, make sure to consult with the store butcher whether the crabs that you are buying are pre-cooked or not.

If they are pre-cooked, you don’t have to cook them for too long, but if they are raw, you’ll need to look up a proper recipe for cooking them.

Difference Between Queen Crab And King Crab

In addition to queen crab, there is also another type of crab called king crab, which is very famous.

If you are looking to eat crab for the first time, you need to decide which one to taste first. One of the most common differences between the snow crab and the king crab is their price.

A king crab is a lot pricier than queen crabs, as king crabs are a lot more difficult to catch.

King crabs also weigh more than queen crabs. A normal king crab weighs around 5 kg, while a snow crab weighs only 2 kg.

You can find special offers on snow crabs very easily, but it is almost impossible to find discounts on king crabs as they are very limited in quantity already.

King crabs can be found in the Aleutian Islands, the Bering Sea, and the Gulf Of Alaska in America. They are also found in Columbia.

Queen crabs live in the Sea of Japan, West Greenland, and North/South Barents Sea.

Conclusion – Queen Crab

Queen crabs are a type of crabs. Their looks resemble that of a spider, and they can be easily told apart from king crabs. Throughout their life cycle, queen crabs adapt to different colors and grow in size. They weigh around 2 kg which is a lot less compared to king crabs.

We hope you enjoyed this article about crab queen and if you did, you might also like our other articles such as “What time do amazon packages arrive?“, “What does S mean on a car“, and “How do you know when boiled eggs are done?

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