What is the Difference Between Red and Blue King Crab? - American Oceans (2024)

FAQs

What is the Difference Between Red and Blue King Crab? - American Oceans? ›

Blue king crab

Taste-wise, blue king crab is similar to red king crab, typically sweeter, although slightly milder in flavor than red. When it is available in-season, I like serving blue king crab when I am entertaining guests. They are always amazed at the size of the claws.

“However, blue crab is found in brackish water while red crab resides in salt water, so sodium levels in red crab are higher than blue, and due to different habitats, the red crab has more protein and less total fat.”

The less insisted upon Blue King is cheaper than Red King but more expensive than the Golden King. Blue King is an affordable option that retains the savory, buttery taste of the King species.

The blue crab is among the best types of crab due to its sweetness and quality flavor. Many describe the flavor as rich and buttery. The taste of the claw meat also has a nutty flavor. You can eat the softshells, and the cooked shells turn an orangish-red.

Taste-wise, true red king crab is the best in the world. The meat is snow-white, with highlights of bright red. Colossal King Crabs legs are the largest crab caught in the world and each crab cluster is bursting with delicious crab meat your family will love.

With a resilient U.S. economy and a ban on Russian king crab imports, the Bristol Bay red king crab fishery is commanding a premium in the market, according to crab expert Les Hodges. He reported U. S. king crab imports are down 87 percent through October to 3.4 million pounds.

While meat from any species of crab may be used, the Blue Crab, whose native habitat includes the Chesapeake Bay, is the traditional choice and generally considered to be the best tasting. These crabs are incredibly sweet—and many aficionados prefer them to any other type of crab.

Their small size, high water content and poor meat quality mean they are not considered edible by humans.

The most expensive crab ever sold was a 2-pound snow crab for $46,000 at auction. One snow crab with five legs sold for a record-breaking $3300 per pound in Tottori, Japan. The most expensive Dungeness crab ever sold was a 2.5-pound specimen for $665 at an auction.

Which crab is best to eat? ›

Snow crabs are one of the best crabs to eat since their white meat is so flaky and delicious. Use a cracker to break the outer shell to get to the long, thick spears of meat inside each leg.

The Cost of Catching and Processing Crab Meat

One of the main reasons why crab meat is expensive is due to the high cost of catching and processing the crabs. Crabbing is a labor-intensive process that requires skilled workers to operate specialized equipment such as crab traps and crab pots.

Reasons for High Stone Crab Prices

Florida Stone crabs are found in limited numbers, making them a rare delicacy. The harvesting process for Florida stone crab claws is more involved than other types of crab. Florida stone crabs have to be at least 2 3/4 inches across the back to legally harvest.

Taste: King crab vs snow crab taste very differently and their meat is usually used for different purposes. The King crab is known as the best of the best when it comes to crab meat and it is usually a delicacy and eaten on its own or with a buttery dip.

Dungeness Crab Tastes Better Than King Crab

Dungeness crab has a sweet, succulent taste and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Dungeness crab legs are a true delicacy with a firmer texture than the body meat. In comparison, King crab has a milder flavor, almost to the point of being generic.

Alaska's seafood industry is much larger than that of any other state (via Statista), and crabs are a central part of the sector. King, Dungeness, and snow crabs are all caught in Alaska, according to Alaska Seafood.

This opaque, plump meat entertains the dinner guests. Critics claim, however, they both deserve an equal place at the feast. The calendar planning is simple. King crabs run from October through February with the freshest meat, while the blue crab impresses during mid-to late summer.

Red king crabs can provide many dietary benefits including a good source of protein. When red king crabs grow too big for their shell (exoskeleton), they shed their shell by absorbing water and cracking it, a process called molting.

While they may be slightly smaller than red king crabs, golden king crab legs are still a feast in their own right, and enthusiasts celebrate their uniquely sweet flavor.