Have you ever wondered why Alaska King Crab is so popular? Here is my short primer on Alaska King Crab.
Alaska King Crabs are crabs that are normally at least six pounds and that live in frigid water, typically only found in the Bering Sea between Alaska and Russia.
King crab season is much shorter than the normal crab harvesting season. Harvesting of Alaska king crabs normally starts in late October and ends in early January. King crabs can be found in other places world including in the waters between B.C. and Japan, north of the Bering Sea, which is why we seem to see so many king crabs in B.C.
Alaska King Crab commands higher prices than other types of crab because it is only grown in the wild and the supply is limited. A distinguishing feature of king crabs is that they have three pairs of legs whereas most other crabs have four pairs of legs.
King crab is sought after by foodies because it has a sweet, mild flavour, and is often compared to lobster. It has a firm, flaky texture whereas most crab is fibrous, which shreds into small pieces. King crab typically doesn’t have the briny flavour found in other types of crabs. King crab meat is also lower in both fat and calories compared to other types of crab meat and is rich in high-quality protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Although there are over 40 different species of king crab, there are generally 3 commercially harvested types:
Golden king crab (also marketed as brown king crab)
These crabs are caught in the waters around the Aleutian Islands and are the smallest of the three commercially harvested types of king crab. Their shells are golden orange in colour and they have the mildest flavour of the three commercially harvested types of king crab. Golden king crab generally are the least expensive type of king crab as they have the lowest percentage of meat inside the shells. But they are one of the most abundant types of crabs in Alaska.
Blue king crab (as sold as red king crab)
These crabs are caught in Alaska near St. Matthew Island and the Pribilof Islands, blue king crabs have sweet meat, proportionally giant claws and a milder flavour compared to red king crabs. When they are alive, blue king crabs are brown with royal blue highlights. Once they are cooked they turn a bright orange red.
Red king crab
These crabs are caught in the waters of Bristol Bay and Norton Sound and are the most prized species of commercially harvested king crab. Red king crabs are dark burgundy in colour when alive and turn bright red with scarlet-red highlights on the top part of the shell when they are cooked. They are considered the best-tasting crabs because the meat is snow white, with highlights of bright red.
While many cruise ships and buffets only serve king crab legs, Chinese restaurants usually use all parts of the king crab in dishes. The legs are cut up and served steamed. Then the knuckles or the part of the legs near the crab head are deep fried. Lastly, the juices from the steamed crab legs and the innards inside the shell are used to create a baked rice dish.
So the next time you eat king crab, examine the shell to see if you can figure out what type it is.
Until next time, happy eating!
Tony Kwan is a Richmond News columnist. Lawyer by day, a food and wine lover by night, Kwan is an epicurean who writes about wine, food and enjoying all that life has to offer.
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