What makes Blue Crabs Sweet?
Many theories get passed around the dock about what makes the blue crab meat sweet. Some say the crabs contain trace amounts of sugar. A caramelized crab chunk cooking in a cast iron skillet proves a natural ingredient causes this “golden brown.” Thinking about many meat cuts, such as fish, you’ll notice they caramelize too, especially when opaque. The caramelization is obvious. Since crabs proudly serve as a lean, high protein meat, along with most fish, another chemical “makeup” explains this feature. Amino Acids is the answer. Found in proteins, these acids give off a sweetness when cooked. Don’t get concerned over the “acid” term. It actually does a body good with beneficial qualities. Blood health, strong hormonal activity, and a vibrant immune system all get a boost from amino acids. Blue crabs' diet of healthy eelgrass, snails, fish, and other floating nutrients produces meat high in amino acids. So, a healthy, hungry crab grows sweet meat.
Others point to salinity levels. “Less salt means a sweeter meat,” they consistently explain. Blue crabs do taste sweeter from the Bay which does have a perfect mix of brackish water, about 25% salt. The theory falters slightly when crabs from Louisiana or even completely fresh waterways get a traditional steaming and spicing. The meat’s quality of salty-sweet is consistent with the Bay’s crab. To get scientific, research shows the zoea or developing baby crab prefers more salt at about 35 ppt, while a mature crab desires 3 ppt. The difference is startling, but then again crabs migrate in and out of various salinity levels their entire lives. Female crabs do search higher salinity to release their eggs, but from that point onward, the ebb and flow is much like the tide. So, as far as sweetness, the crab’s amino acids and healthy diet gets the job done. As far as the “buttery” taste, we’ll save that for another day!
