White stuff in the crab's belly

As a very popular seafood food, swimming crab not only tastes fresh and tender, but is also rich in protein, fat and other nutrients. However, many people will find white stuff in the stomach of swimming crabs when eating them, and sometimes there is also white stuff on the crab shell. So, what are these white things? Are these things edible? Next, I will introduce you to some relevant knowledge about swimming crabs!

1. What is the white thing in the swimming crab?

The white stuff inside the crab may be crab roe. The main component of crab roe is the sperm of male crabs, and the secondary component is fat. If you open the crab and see white, sticky substance inside, it is likely to be a male crab.

2. What is the white stuff on the swimming crab shell?

It's a barnacle, parasitic on the crab. Barnacle, Arthropoda, Maxillopoda, Barnacleidae. Barnacles are clusters of small, grayish-white, calcareous-shelled animals that cling to rocks by the sea.

Male crabs have seminal vesicles, and the white substance inside is sperm. The sperm of male crabs is crab roe. Crab roe may also be fat. In order to prepare for the winter, male crabs gradually accumulate fat, which grows into crab roe (commonly known as crab oil). When you peel open the shell of a male crab, you can see a white, sticky substance inside the shell and crab meat, which is crab roe (crab oil). After being cooked, the crab roe becomes translucent. The more crab roe there is, the stronger the male crab is.

3. Can the contents of swimming crab shells be eaten?

The contents inside the crab shell are edible and delicious. The inside of the female crab contains crab roe, while the inside of the male crab contains crab paste.

In autumn, the climate gradually changes from cool to cold, and the crabs gradually grow stronger. The digestive glands and ovaries of the female crab grow into crab roe in preparation for the winter and the needs of reproduction next year (the crab roe turns into crab roe in spring). At this time, peel off the crab shell and you can see a lot of yellow, sticky things in the crab shell and crab meat. That is raw crab roe. After being cooked, the crab roe turns red, and the darker the red, the stronger the crab. In order to prepare for the winter, male crabs gradually accumulate fat, which grows into crab roe (commonly known as crab oil). When you peel open the shell of a male crab, you will see a white, sticky substance in the same place, which is crab roe (crab oil). After being cooked, the crab roe becomes translucent. The more crab roe there is, the stronger the male crab is.

Crab roe and crab paste are not only delicious but also nutritious. They are the essence of crabs.

In the wild, the roe of female crabs is the fullest in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, and the fat of male crabs is the thickest in October. Therefore, in the past, there was a saying about eating crabs: "nine females and ten males". It means: eat female crabs in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, and eat male crabs in the tenth month of the lunar calendar.