Photo source: Wikipedia

Blue crabs and Maryland . . . the two go together. The unique mix of salt and fresh water (brackish water) of the Chesapeake Bay make it a haven for these crustaceans. For centuries, the Native American people living on the Delmarva Peninsula enjoyed the tasty crab meat before introducing it to the European settlers of the area.

Today, you can find crab on the menu at many restaurants. Ask any Marylander and they can recommend their favorite place to find the delicacy. Earlier this summer, Food & Wine Magazine named their favorite places to eat crab. A few of the restaurants mentioned include:

  • Locust Point Steamers (Baltimore)
  • Bethesda Crab House (Bethesda)
  • Conrad’s Seafood Restaurant (Perry Hall)
  • Hemingway’s Restaurant (Stevensville)
  • The Red Roost Crabhouse and Restaurant (Whitehaven)

For more recommendations, read the article in its entirety.

If you prefer to celebrate our local crustacean, there are numerous festivals planned throughout the late summer. Sandy Point State Park in Annapolis will host the 50th Maryland Seafood Festival on the weekend of September 9. The festival includes great food, including the Capital’s 27th Crab Soup Cook-Off, as well as music, arts and crafts, and an interactive kids zone. Visit the website for updated information.

To get a feel for the traditional life of a waterman, head to Tilghman Island Day on October 21. At this small, local festival you will find boat-building demonstrations, crab picking, and oyster shucking, and enjoy some wonderful food and drink. Click here for more information.

If you are a DIYer and would like to host your own crab feast, it is a simple way to gather your friends and family – just make sure to have plenty of Natty Boh and Old Bay on hand. Here is a simple recipe from our friends at chowhound:

  1. Fill a large pot with the water and vinegar or beer (you should have about 1 inch of liquid). Place a steamer rack in the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Using tongs, carefully place 3 crabs on the rack in an even layer belly-side down and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Old Bay. Top with the remaining 2 crabs belly-side down and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the Old Bay. Cover with a tightfitting lid and return the liquid to a full boil, about 1 minute. Continue to steam until the crabs are cooked through, about 10 minutes more.
  3. Using tongs, remove the crabs to a large bowl or serving platter. Immediately sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons of Old Bay.

Click here for step-by-step instructions about how to clean and crack the crabs.

As you are enjoying your crab feast, you can impress your guests with the following crab facts:

  • The blue crab was named the official State Crustacean of Maryland in 1989.
  • The blue crab’s scientific name translates as “beautiful swimmer that is savory.”
  • The life expectancy of a blue crab living in the Chesapeake Bay is 2.5 to 3 years.
  • Crab can be prepared in numerous ways, including steamed or sautéed, as Maryland Crab Cakes and Crab Imperial, or in crab soup and crab dip.
  • Blue crabs are harvested in three ways: as hard shell crabs, peeler crabs (just prior to molting), and soft shell crabs (immediately after the molt).