Physical characteristics:
Red king crab is the most well known of the three commercially
caught king crab species. King crab in general are different
from other crab species in two distinct ways. King crab
have only three sets of "walking" legs and one set of claws,
while most other crabs have four sets of walking legs and
one set of claws. King crab also differ from other crabs
in their type of claws. The three king crab species have
a smaller "feeder" claw (for manipulation and handling of
food), and a larger "killer" claw for crushing their prey.
The red king crab is very difficult to tell apart from its
nearest relative, the blue king crab. Size and shell color
are not conclusive in themselves, though red king crab is
usually the largest crab landed. Mainly, the red crab differs
from the blue in the color of its spines (red or white-tipped
in the red king crab and black-tipped in the blue crab).
Also, the layer of skin coating the leg meat in the red
king crab is pinkish, while that of the blue crab is a deeper
red. The similarities between these two species have ultimately
led to the marketing of the two species as one, both are
usually called "red king crab" in domestic markets. The
red king crab can grow quite large, 8 feet from tip to tip
and up to 10 pounds, but most caught range in size from
3 to 4 feet from tip to tip and 4 to 9 pounds in weight.
|
Major
catch areas: Alaska, Russia. |
Seasonality:
Alaska has the following seasons: Norton Sound in August/September,
Saint Matthew's in September, Bristol Bay in November and
Adak in December. Russian red king crab is fished during
two seasons: January through April and September through
November. |
Harvest
method: All king crab is caught in large wire pots baited
with herring or other fish. |
|
Product forms: |
|
Fresh: Very little is sold fresh, but
there are some small niche markets for live, fresh whole-cooks
and fresh sections. |
|
Frozen: With the
very small exception of red king crab that is sold as whole-cooked
for displays, most king crab is sold as bulk sections that
are later processed into single legs and claws. These sections
are processed in three major ways: cooked and brine frozen,
cooked and air ("blast") frozen, and raw and air frozen.
U.S. markets prefer cooked/brine frozen for ease of meat
extraction at the end user level, and the "salty" taste
from brine freezing. Bulk sections are usually sold un-graded
from Alaska, but come from Russia graded as "M" (300-500
gram), "L" (500-700 gram), "2L" (700-900 gram) and "3L"
(900 gram/+). Packing of bulk sections is usually in 40-60#
cartons, but some smaller cluster packs such as a 10 Kg.
pack exists for export markets. |
|
Value-added:
Crab sections are most popularly re-processed into "legs
and claws", graded by the number of legs and claws in 10#
(in the natural proportion of 3 walking legs to 1 claw arm).
This gives the size grade 6/9 count, 9/12 count, 12/14 count,
14/17 count, 16/20 count, 20/24 count and 20/+ count. These
legs and claw packs are sold in 20# cartons. Occasionally
legs and claws are further processed into "splits" (legs
split down their length to expose the meat), "select portions"
(shoulder and merus joints only), and a few other esoteric
specialty cuts. Some re-processors take the killer claws
off the claw arm and sell them as "broiler claws" to high
end markets. Another value-added form is as crabmeat, extracted
and sold in three forms: "merus" (IQF meat from the largest
leg joint), "fancy" (combination pack of leg and shoulder
meat), and "salad" (blocks of shoulder meat only). |
Flavor/texture
profile: King crab is sweet, firm and very rich. Leg
meat is somewhat stringy, while the body or shoulder meat
is more flaky in texture. |
Notes:
Red king crab is considered the "premium" king crab, and
therefore command the best prices on the world market, whereas
in the United States it has become acceptable to cross-sell
red and blue king crab. All crab products need to be heated
to 400 degrees F for four minutes prior to eating to minimize
risk of listeria contamination. |
|
|
Nutritional Facts
| Calories |
84 |
|
|
| Fat calories |
5 |
|
|
| Total
fat |
0.6
g |
|
|
| Saturated
fat |
--- |
|
|
| Cholesterol |
42
mg |
|
|
| Sodium |
836
mg |
|
|
| Potassium |
204
mg |
|
|
| Protein |
18.3
g |
|
|
| Iron |
0.6
mg |
|
|
| Serving
Size |
100g./3.5oz.
(raw) |
|
|
|
