Suppose you’re ordering blue crab for a special occasion, and you’re wondering if there is a significant difference between how the female blue crab tastes compared to the male blue crab. In that case, knowing what each tastes like can help you decide which would best suit your occasion. So, does the male or female blue crab taste better?
In general, the meat of female and male blue crabs tastes the same. There is no noticeable difference, therefore, neither is better than the other in terms of taste. The difference in taste is the female blue crab roe. It has high salt content but has a slightly sweet taste.
Although it takes a lot of work to eat crab, they have some of the most succulent and delicious meat that certainly makes up for all the hassle you go through just to get to the meat. They can be sold whole cooked, live, pickled, frozen, etc. However, is there truly a difference between how the sexes taste? Or is it simply a myth that one tastes better than the other. Does the female blue crab roe play a role?
Male Vs. Female Blue Crab When It Comes To Taste
Female blue crab flesh is allegedly sweeter in taste, but many have never been able to distinguish the difference. In general, most people claim that there really isn’t much of a difference in the taste of male and female blue crab meat. If they are both going through the same molt stage, male and female crabs taste the same. There is no distinction.
The idea that they taste different is a misconception that originated in states where you had to throw the female blue crabs back into the Bay. However, the meat of the female blue crab can occasionally be sweeter. As female blue crabs tend to spend more time out in the open ocean, where the water has higher salt content.
You may be wondering why the high salt content is important. Well, the high salt content also makes it seem like the females are sweeter and therefore taste better. However, the sweet taste is somewhat subdued. The evidence is still in the air on this as it has not been conclusively proven.
The flavor difference is more noticeable when the female blue crabs are heavily laden with roe. Some claim that males have flakier meat while females have denser meat, although I’ve never paid close enough attention to confirm it. The male blue crab meat is also said to be firmer than the females.
All About Female Blue Crab Roe
Crab roe is made up of countless amounts of tiny crab eggs. They develop in female crabs after a male crab fertilizes her. A female crab can often give birth to 2 million small crab larvae. It develops along the crab’s carapace’s interior and the intestines between the crab’s lungs, making it difficult to overlook thanks to its bright orange hue.
The roe of female crabs is highly valued. Crab roe is incredibly palatable and delicious even though it isn’t the most appealing visually due to its bright, orange, and sloppy appearance. Similar to unfertilized fish eggs, it is tastiest when consumed raw. Many find it to be an acquired taste, as many find caviar to be an acquired taste.
Although the sodium content in roe is high, it makes up for it readily with the rich, slightly sweet flavor it boasts. Although there is no actual evidence of this, some claim that the somewhat sweet roe is what actually makes female blue crabs taste sweeter than male blue crabs. This is why some say female blue crabs taste better than male ones.
If Taste Doesn’t Differ, Why Are Male Blue Crabs Eaten More?
Although there generally isn’t a difference between the male and female blue crabs, one will usually see blue male crabs being sold more. There is a specific reason for that. In an effort to replenish the blue crab population that was entirely destroyed by chemicals and pollution, it was made illegal to keep females blue crabs.
This particularly applies to female blue crabs that are pregnant. The goal was to leave the female blue crabs so they could populate and reach their previous numbers. However, throwing them back became a custom over time, with many not knowing the real reason.
Another reason you see more male blue crabs for sale as opposed to female blue crabs has to do with the amount of meat that can be extracted from the shell as opposed to the difference in taste. Generally, males typically have more meat because they tend to be bigger. For example, the female back fin section of the blue crab has less meat than the male blue crab rear fin section.
Does How You Cook Sexes Of Blue Crab Make One Taste Better?
Few people are aware of how versatile crabs are. In addition to being boiled or steam-cooked, the crab legs can also be grilled to enhance the crab flavor. Crabs also work well in stews, chowders, and soups, particularly roe, casseroles, and other delicious recipes.
However, the different ways in which blue crab can be prepared does not mean that the taste of one will be better than the other. The taste of male and female blue crabs stays pretty much the same whether it is boiled or added to chowders.
Conclusion
Many crab lovers prefer blue crab because of its white delicate sweet meat. However, although some swear that there is a difference in taste between the female and male blue crab, the majority claims that there is no distinguishing difference between the two and that they basically taste the same.
The only difference in taste is the female blue crab eggs. They add a slightly sweet flavor that many like, but that is an acquired taste. However, female blue crabs are generally thrown back in as their numbers have depleted drastically due to water contamination.