Don't Throw That Crab Away!!

by Jazmine
(New Orleans, LA)

Hello!

Why do companies only sell Alaskan King Crab "Legs" instead of selling the entire crab? Is there meat in the main body of the crab? What happens to that portion of the crab?

I want it all...

Thanks,
Jazmine


Hi Jazmine! I can relate! All the main meat of Alaskan King Crab is in the legs. They aren't like Blue Crab that can be eaten whole in their soft shell forms. And their legs are huge. I saw one at my local market just a few weeks ago that was as big around as my wrist!
To be honest with you, I've never "cleaned" an Alaskan King Crab, but Dungeness. With that said, I would suspect that they would have a huge amount of meat in their thigh area, like the Dungeness Crab do. However, Alaskan King Crab is so popular and with such a high demand world-wide, I also suspect that the thigh area is packaged and used/sold separately. You can find "tubs" of Alaskan King Crab in seafood areas in most major local grocery stores.
With all this said, there isn't anything left after the leg and thigh areas.
And last, but not least, to answer your question about them selling the King Crab whole...as you probably know, the Alaskan King Crab fished commercially from many miles out in the Alaskan seas. By the time they get to the ports/land they really need to be weighed and boiled to maintain their freshness. If they are dead, they have to be thrown out...total loss.
Again, King Crab are huge! I can't imagine boiling them whole and packaged for resale whole. They would take up unnecessary space in any freezer. I do understand your desire to have a whole one! Would be quite interesting to clean one myself! And, no, there isn't meat in the main body of the crabs. Just thighs and legs...MMmmm!