by Lokemun Magar

Created on: November 29, 2008

Crabs are a favorite among seafood lovers, especially when they are freshly slaughtered and cooked in various chilies, curries and spices or just steamed and eaten on its own. Not many people who love eating crabs know how to prepare live crabs for cooking. Preparing live crabs for cooking is an art of its own. When properly prepared, crabs become a delicacy on their own merit and the pleasure derived from eating them is multiplied.

Crabs are rampant in the coastal regions of Indian, Australian and Asian countries. As they are scavengers, it is relatively easy for them to survive where other animals perish for the lack of food. Although horror stories evolve around the bigger species of crabs such as its ability to feed on corpses 'buried' in the sea, crabs are still very much a delicacy among the Asians and the Indo-Chinese.

Crabs are cooked in so many different ways that it is impossible to grow sick of them. There is likely a different recipe for every day in a month! It is no wonder that crabs remain a key item on Asian seafood menus. The secret to the success of many delicious crab dishes lies in the special methods of preparing and cooking live crabs.

The color and shape of the shell of crabs distinguish the many species of crabs. Some are edible and favored over other species. Among the favored crabs are the Sri Lankan Crab, the Snow Crab, the blue and white Flower Crab and the Black Shell Crab. The Black Shell Crab are the most popular as they are cheaper, plentiful and succulent.

Crab meat varies in texture and taste, depending on the specie, the sex of the crab, its age and season. The flesh of female crabs tends to be stringier and much less succulent when they are harboring eggs. The nutrients they derive from their food seem to transform into their rich future - the bright yellow, orange or red roe that fill the hollow in their shell. If you do not fancy the cholesterol that accompanies the crab roe and would rather sink your teeth into sweet succulent crab meat anytime of the year, ask for the male crab.

Another factor determining the succulence of the crab meat is the molting process during which the crab sheds its older and smaller shell and grows a bigger one. Upon molting, the crab shell is soft and thin, leaving the crab vulnerable to attacks by their predators which include man! Molting takes place most often when the crabs are young. However, molting occurs in a crab right through the adult stage, as long as the crab continues to grow.

The commonly

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