SC - Chinese Crab - Charibdys japonica

[Drake & Meliora]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> [mailto:owner-sca-cooks at ansteorra.org]On Behalf Of Philip & Susan Troy
> Sent: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 2:48 PM
> To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org
> Subject: Re: SC - Chinese Crab - Charibdys japonica
>
>
> Drake & Meliora wrote:
> >
> > I'm currently redacting one of Ni Tsan's recipes - Honeyed
> Stuffed Crabs.
> > Does anyone know anything about the crab I need to use
> Charibdys japonica.
> > If I can see a piccie and get a description of the taste then
> maybe I can
> > take a guess to which Aussie Crab to use.
> >
> > I'd toddle down to the National Library of Australia (15Km and
> 1 bus away)
> > but I am housebound with Ulcerated Tonsils at the moment.  I've
> tried basic
> > searches on Yahoo and Alta Vista with no success. Can anyone help?
>
> For what it's worth, the crabs I've seen photographed in most Chinese
> cookbooks _not_ published in the U.S.A., in settings that appear, in
> fact, to be Chinese, show a crab that looks a great deal like either the
> European torteau-type crab (larger, rounder and less pointy than, say,
> the blue-claw crab most East Coast Americans are familiar with), which

How close to the Blue Swimmer Crab are either of those?

> is, in turn, a great deal like a Dungeness crab from the Pacific coast

What does the Dungeness Crab look like.

How much of a flavour/texture difference is there between salt water crab
species.

> of the U.S.A. I would guess there's an ozzie equivalent, if not the
> actual species in question represented. Yes, I realize Australia has a
> more or less unique ecosystem and all, but things are a little different
> with marine animals, aren't they?

I dunno...I heard that they swim upside down in Aussie waters :)


> Is there any particular reason why you've settled on Charybdis japonica?
> Ni Tsan's translator and editor for the PPC article says the recipe does
> specify what type of crab is used, but goes on to say it's impossible
> [at this time] to relate the descriptive terms used to any known
> species. Has that situation changed?

YES. Francoise Sabban in PPC61 replied clarifying some points in the PPC60
article by Wang and Anderson.  The comments were:

"The species of the crab youmou is Charibdys japonica (A. Milne-Edwards), a
rather common species in China, especially in the <<South Sea>> as it is
written in a pharmacopeia dating from the same time as Ni Zan"

There are various comments, some significant enough to make the comments in
PPC61 vital for redating the recipes in PPC60.


>
> The Chinese eat _quite_ a few crab species, including some freshwater
> types.
> Hoping this helps, not holding my breath...

And I'm trying not to talk either (tonsillitis)

Hope what I have helps.  I'm probably going to have to settle for Blue
Swimmer Crabs anyway as I live 200km inland and those are the only ones the
fish markets get in.  I've called every one today.

I figure if I get 'too anal', the already limited number of Practical
chinese recipes will diminish further.
I have to redact 25 recipes by Saturday.  Redaction Marathon here I come!!!

Anyone know the number of Blue Swimmer's I can get per Kilo. Same for King
Green Prawns?

Drakey.

> Adamantius

ps. I hope the hint about PPC61 was useful.