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Crab is a remarkable piece of fish that is used in many foods. Most people know what it is. It’s used in paella, in various pasta dishes, in sushi, and of course, in the well-known crab salad. But what kind of crab are we talking about, and what are the different types of crab?
The wide range of crab species and all their different names might cause a person to become overwhelmed. Crabmeat, crab chunks, crab flakes, crab sticks, surimi, white crab, blue crab… what’s the difference? We will guide you through the endless sea of crab species.
Would you like to buy crab now? Then have a look at our extensive range of crab products, subdivided into Crustaceans and shellfish and Seafood mix.
The topics covered in this article include:
Apart from the small crabs on the beach that walk sideways, we generally know crab as the small white-red pieces of fish ready to be eaten in our meal or salad. But what is crab exactly, and from where do these crustaceans come?
Crabs are shellfish, categorised as crustaceans. They have hard outer shells and segmented limbs. Unlike the lobster, the crab does not have a visible tail but a short tail curled under its body.
Crabs are one of a kind: their eyes are up high on stalks protruding from their head, their bodies are broad, and everyone immediately recognises a crab by their unique way of walking sideways.
Crabs are mainly caught in the wild and are sustainable. Crabs are very difficult to capture, as they like to hide between rocks and stones. That is why we use baskets and traps to catch them. This method of fishing is sustainable as it does not disturb the surrounding sea life. Nor is there any bycatch, as is the case with many other fish species.
Not all crabs are caught in the wild. A well-known example of this is the Soft Shell Crab . It is farmed in a natural environment (aquaculture).
Most people encounter a crab on the beach, but crabs mostly live in the sea. There are 38 species of crab in the Netherlands and Belgium. Worldwide there are no fewer than 8600 different species! The best-known native crab species are the north sea crab, the beach crab and the common swimming crab.
A well-known swimming crab species is the blue swimming crab, of which the Chinese blue crab is the most popular. Blue swimming crabs are also available in other parts of the world – a true delicacy.
Cleaned, chopped and cooked – A delicious delicacy of excellent quality, ready-to-eat in the freezer.
View our blue swimming crab products
Are you looking to buy whole Chinese blue crabs? Mooijer-Volendam sells whole Chinese blue crabs in two different sizes: 6/10 and 11/15.
View our Chinese blue crab products
Not all crab species live in the sea. There is also the river crab: this crab has adapted and lives in freshwater and inland waters. Mooijer-Volendam sells whole and ground river crab.
View our river crab products
Many supermarkets, speciality stores or restaurants choose to buy crab products cleaned and already cooked. Crab is a popular product used in many meals. Curious about all the options regarding ready–to-eat crab? Mooijer-Volendam sells Fruits de mer, Seafood mix, surimi crab sticks, surimi crab chunks and surimi seafood chunks.
Due to their non-standard shape, crabs are measured in width, not in length. Crabs have a maximum width of thirty centimetres: however, many crabs are only half that size. Since most of the crab meat comes from the cephalothorax – that’s almost the entire crab – one crab does not give us a lot of crab meat.
We can also remove meat from their legs if the crabs are large enough. We usually sell the crab legs whole, but if you would prefer, we can also remove the meat from the legs for you. This crabmeat is more unique than the crab meat from the cephalothorax, therefore also more expensive.
This meat is called Snow crabmeat.
Crabs are generally very difficult to catch, making them sustainable, but as a result, crabmeat can be quite expensive. That is one of the reasons why surimi is very popular in the Netherlands. Surimi is a kind of imitation crabmeat, which usually contains just a small amount of ‘real’ crab meat.
Surimi is mainly composed of ground white fish, crab aroma, and colouring agents to create the red colour. If the word ‘crab’ is on the product label, for example, ‘crab salad’ or ‘crabmeat’, it must contain a certain amount of real crab meat. If this is not the case, then the product is referred to as, examples being, surimi meat, surimi chunks, and surimi sticks.
As mentioned earlier, crabs are measured in width. Although a crab is a member of the crustacean family, this is not the case with lobsters. A lobster’s tail runs straight down its back, and unlike crabs, lobsters move forwards and backwards.
Lobsters are, on average, larger and heavier than crabs. They can grow to half a meter in length and sometimes weigh up to four kilos. In the Netherlands, lobsters are often bought and sold alive because it is still customary to cook them while they are alive.
Discover the full range of crab products from Mooijer-Volendam
At Mooijer-Volendam, we have a wide range of frozen whole crabs and various ready-to-eat crab products. Our crab products are ideal for preparing delicious kinds of pasta, the famous Spanish paella or for salads or fish cocktails in no time at all.
Buying crab at Mooijer-Volendam
Are you looking for good quality crab products? Then you’ve come to the right place. As a wholesaler, Mooijer-Volendam sets high standards for its quality, as do we with all our crab products. Our customers can rely on AAA product quality, something that our clients also demand from us.
That is why more and more customers know how to find us as a catering wholesaler or as a wholesaler for fishmongers, speciality stores and large retailers.
Do you want to know more about all our crab products?