SC - Chinese Crab - Charibdys japonica

[Philip & Susan Troy]

Elaine Koogler wrote:
> 
> Thanks for your thoughts.  Yes, I know that they shouldn't be expensive here, but they
> are, unfortunately.  When we purchased a bushel of crabs for a party this summer, it
> ran in excess of $130!!!  Yeah, soft shell crabs would probably give us more to work
> with, but even those are pricey.  And their availability is limited only to the summer
> months, when they are in that molting/getting a new shell stage.  I also have to admit
> to getting mental picture of someone with a crab between two pieces of bread, with the
> legs hanging out!  Softshell crab sandwiches are great!  But they do look TRULY weird.

Sure they do. Mmmmmm. A bug on a bun, as it were, but eminently in
compliance with the KISS rule of cookery. Elegant, no. Essential? Yes,
very much so. I always like to go the Southern Maryland Celtic Festival
whenever possible, because we always have a good time at Highland Games,
I can buy T-shirts that fit well, and because the guys that in other
locations would be selling fish and chips also sell, there, softshell
crabs and chips...

Your crab prices do seem quite high, and I can't decide if it's just
that I haven't bought them in a while, or if I get them much cheaper for
some reason. Could the waters off New York and New Jersey be producing
more crabs than the Chesapeake? Could somebody be farming them
somewhere? I'll try to remember to look at the prices next time I'm in a
position to do so.
  
Adamantius
- -- 
Phil & Susan Troy

troy at asan.com