![]() of Natural Light Charters, who leads chartered crabbing and fishing trips with his son Frank Jr. So how does one look at a crab and know if it’ s from Maryland? One of the ways is the color of the fat, often called mustard by locals, which is a darker shade of yellow, according to captain Frank Updike Sr. " To someone that knows what they are looking for, it is possible to tell by eye which ones are from Maryland, but most likely it will be by taste." " This gives our crabs a buttery flavor that you won’ t find anywhere else, " Vilnit says. He explains that just like other creatures that hibernate, crabs need to build up fat stores to sustain them through the dormant period. The seasonality has certainly affected our appreciation for blue crab over the years, and it is why it holds the place that it does in the Chesapeake way of life."įrom a scientific perspective, the need for hibernation is the main reason Maryland crabs taste better than other types of crab - and also tastes better than blue crabs from other waters, according to Steve Vilnit of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Fisheries Services. " The season typically starts around and lasts until the cold weather comes around in November. " The seasons have a lot to do with it," he says. Gjerde notes that other species of crab lack the depth of flavor and delicate texture of blue crabs. Many restaurants use cheaper pasteurized crab from Asia for their dishes. The lazy might prefer larger Dungeness crabs from the West Coast, which are much larger and easier to eat. " They are superior to any other crab in my opinion." He knows his crabs: " Blue crab is really unlike any other crab in the world, thanks to the growing conditions, and the type of estuary we have here," he says. Gjerde is the first Baltimore chef to win the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic, and was raised in Baltimore. " Blue crab is part of the holy trinity of Maryland seafood, made up of oysters, rockfish, and blue crab," says chef Spike Gjerde of Baltimore ’ s Woodberry Kitchen. According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, approximately 50 percent of the country’ s blue crab harvest comes from Maryland waters.Īnd they are an essential part of the region’ s culinary heritage. As a result, in Maryland, steamed is usually the only option on offer.īlue crabs can be found in waters as far north as Nova Scotia and as far south as Uruguay, but the crustacean's strongest association has always been with Maryland. (Boiling proponents argue that steaming pushes the internal temperature too high and dries out the flesh.) But oddly enough, Marylanders complain that the seasoned boiling water makes the crab taste too evenly seasoned - they prefer the variety in heat and seasoning that comes from tasting the spice that rubs on to the crabmeat from their fingers. Marylanders will tell you that boiling makes the crabmeat wet, rather than just moist. Marylanders prepare hard shells and other seafood by steaming them, rather than the boiling that is common along the rest of the East Coast and Louisiana. And not just any crabs: We’re talking about the delicate, sweet blue crab bounty of the Chesapeake Bay, whose Latin name Callinectes sapidus means "beautiful swimmer." There are few things that get Marylanders more excited than tearing into a bushel of red-shelled beauties encrusted with crab seasoning, or enjoying the delicacy of a fried soft shell, accompanied by an ice cold Natty Boh. ![]() Those include "poor water quality, loss of key habitat such as underwater grasses, and the proliferation of blue catfish and other invasive predators,” said Allison Colden, the foundation's Maryland senior fisheries scientist.Summers in Maryland aren’t summer without crabs. ![]() More: Old Bay on crabs, of course, but goldfish? Believe it More: Chesapeake Bay adult blue crab numbers hit record low, survey finds The Chesapeake Bay Foundation, an independent conservation group, said the harvest limits are an encouraging step but more needs to be done to address the likely causes behind the low crab count. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission said in a statement Thursday that it also will work with its Crab Management Advisory Committee to address some longer term conservation issues for next year. The limits will remain in place for the start of the 2023 season, which begins in mid-March, and lasts until mid-May. It’s unclear how much of an effect the new restrictions will have because watermen don’t hit their limits every day.īushel limits will also be reduced in Virginia for crabs - both male and female - starting Oct. The cuts in Maryland will translate to about 15% to 25% of daily commercial harvest limits compared to the 2021 crabbing season, depending on the license.
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