Etiquette When Eating Crab

Enjoying crab in a restaurant requires some knowledge of crab etiquette to ensure you not only enjoy what has been prepared for you, but also to not offend others that are dining with you.

First off, whole crab will come either hard shell or soft shell.

Soft shell crab has gone through the molting process and tends to be sweeter than hard shell. It is easy to break apart, although the amount may be scarce since the meat has broken down and can be lost through transportation and preparation. Hard shell will require a bit more work , but the reward is great since the hard shell crab will have more meat.

Do not feel intimidated if it is your first time eating a whole crab in a restaurant. Eating a crab will require you to follow some easy steps and guidelines. This will save you from the embarrassment of destroying your crab and your respect for crab etiquette.

How to Eat A Whole Crab:

1. Remove the claws by twisting them off and set to the side. Be careful of water draining from the claws.

2. Gently twist off the the legs and remove the little amount of meat inside with your seafood fork.

3. Once the legs and claws have been removed you will open up the apron. The apron is found on the underside of the crab. Look for a small flap that hangs near the base. Pull up on the apron to expose the inner body of the crab.

4. Once the body of the crab has been opened and the interior meat has become exposed remove anything that appears yellow in color. The yellow substance is also known as the mustard and is unappealing and is not consumed. Scrape the lungs and gills from the body and remember not to eat the substance.

5. Break the body section in half. This can be done with a mallet in a non-formal setting. If you are consuming a whole crab in a formal dinner setting then request an additional napkin from the server prior to your crab being served. When it is time for you to split the body in half then carefully place the body within the napkin and gently apply pressure. Set the soiled napkin to the side for the server to remove it from the table and proceed to eat the crab with your fork. It is important to not use your fingers when eating the crab meat as much as possible.

6. After consuming the meat from the body return to the claws. First, break the pincher claw in half. If you are in a non-formal setting you will break the claws with the use of the mallet and remove the tender meat from inside the claws. In a formal setting you will break the claws with crackers and remove the meat with a seafood fork.

If you are enjoying only the legs of the crab you can request the legs be split for you to save you the trouble of cracking them yourself. Many restaurants will provide this service to you, especially fine dining restaurants.

Having proper crab etiquette is essential no matter what type of restaurant the entree is being served in.