I still remember the first time I ever heard of soft-shell crab. It was in the '90s at East Japanese restaurant in New York.
Before then, I never knew you could eat the whole crab, shells and all. Deep fried in light batter and served with a lemon wedge, there's nothing quite like it.
![Soft shell crabs, Tonkichi]()
According to Wiki:
"Soft-shell crab can be eaten whole if cooked shortly after molting (shedding) its hard shell.
As crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days.
Fishermen often put crabs beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete, in order to send them to market as soft-shells.
Crabs should be kept alive until immediately before cooking so they are fresh.
Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell. These are often referred to as “papershells” or “tinbacks” and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable to some consumers.
Molting is highly seasonal and usually lasts from early May to July."
Whether you love soft-shell crabs or not, watch this video of how a spider crab molts its shell. What happens is completely unexpected. It is fascinating and will not gross you out.
Before then, I never knew you could eat the whole crab, shells and all. Deep fried in light batter and served with a lemon wedge, there's nothing quite like it.
According to Wiki:
"Soft-shell crab can be eaten whole if cooked shortly after molting (shedding) its hard shell.
As crabs grow larger, their shells cannot expand, so they molt the exteriors and have a soft covering for a matter of days.
Fishermen often put crabs beginning to molt aside, until the molting process is complete, in order to send them to market as soft-shells.
Crabs should be kept alive until immediately before cooking so they are fresh.
Usually crabs must be eaten within four days of molting to be useful as soft-shell crabs. They begin to rebuild their shells after that, and when eaten, have a thin shell. These are often referred to as “papershells” or “tinbacks” and are more crunchy when eaten, making them less desirable to some consumers.
Molting is highly seasonal and usually lasts from early May to July."
Whether you love soft-shell crabs or not, watch this video of how a spider crab molts its shell. What happens is completely unexpected. It is fascinating and will not gross you out.