How To Eat Crab Legs And Enjoy It

There’s nothing better than delicious seafood, especially when it has been well-cooked and freshly prepared on the day.

Out of all the seafood available, crab remains one of the most popular, with the tasty crustacean becoming a recurring ingredient in American and Asian cuisine.

And while crab can taste delicious, some components could make you lose your appetite.

When eating crab, many areas contain the best meat, with the most delicious being found in the claws and legs.

Because of this, eating crab legs can be a strenuous process, as you have to break through the creature’s hard exterior to reach the tasty filling inside.

So if you want to know how to eat crab legs the correct way, you have come to the right place.

In the following article, we will teach you how to eat crab legs without causing mess or harm while also explaining the various tools you will need to get the job done.

We will also explain the best way to utilize the rest of the crab and how you can use these methods to access the main body.

So if you are in the mood for some yummy seafood, this article has everything you need to get started…

What You Will Need

Because crabs are usually cooked inside their exterior shells, breaking through the armor can make it difficult to reach the meat inside.

For this reason, it has become customary for people to use crab-eating utensils when consuming the tasty crustacean.

These utensils can be found in stores all over the country and can be purchased from websites such as amazon.

So to help you understand everything you will need, we have compiled a list of supplies in the section below:

1. Crab Bib

Disposable crab bibs are considered a great way to keep your clothes clean during a messy meal.

This is because they work to protect your person from any debris and can be thrown away once you have finished eating.

In most examples, crab bibs are white and feature a big red crab on the front, which means they are not the most attractive utensil on the market.

However, if you are eating with your family and friends, you should not think about your appearance.

Instead, you should focus your attention on the good company and the delicious flavor of the crab.

2. Crab Knife

A crab knife is a versatile tool commonly used to pick apart the crab's shell.

Crab knives can be very useful when removing the gills from underneath the crab’s carapace and the triangular apron located on the belly of the crustacean.

While crab knives may look small, they are powerful enough to break through the crab’s protective armor and sharp enough to remove the meat from within delicately.

Because of this, you must always use your crab knife correctly and with caution; otherwise, you could risk causing serious harm to yourself and those around you.

3. Crab Mallet

Crab mallets are commonly used to crack open the crab’s claws, containing some of the best meat on the animal. In most cases, crab mallets have long handles and small solid heads.

Beyond this, crab mallets are known for their lightweight design, which allows you to crack open the shell without obliterating the crab itself.

While crab mallets can be extremely useful when eating the whole crab, they are not really needed to tackle the legs.

4. Seafood Cracker

Seafood crackers are essential for eating crab, especially if you are interested in eating the legs.

Similar in design to nutcrackers, this utensil features two powerful grips connected by a central hinge.

To crack open the legs and access the meat within, you need to put the grips around the shell and squeeze the handles together.

Fortunately, seafood crackers are not hard to come by and can usually be purchased from your local grocery store.

5. Seafood Picks

For the last item you will need, we have seafood picks, which can be used to remove the meat from inside the legs.

These tools are long, sharp and slender, which means they can reach down inside the limb to scoop out any crab that you may have overlooked.

Most seafood picks come with a small spoon on one end and a tiny fork on the other.

You should be able to purchase seafood crackers, and seafood picks as a set from your local grocery store.

How To Eat Crab Legs

Now that you understand what you will need let’s take a look at how you can eat crab legs in the best way possible.