By Eatocracy (CNN, 3/9/2012)
“Pinch me! March 9 is National Crab Meat Day.
There’s nothing like the fruit of the sea, and delving into a crab meat dish is a surefire way to feel the spray of the sea on your face.
Crab meat is a favorite across many cultures’ cuisines because it is slightly sweet, soft and has a delicate texture and taste. The most common crabs used for cooking are brown, blue, blue swimming and red swimming crabs.
Like other meat, crab is available in different grades, dependent on where and what kind of crab it comes from. Some terms you might hear bandied about are colossal, jumbo lump, lump, special and backfin. Colossal and the various lumps are the largest pieces from the muscles connected to the back swimming legs, while special and backfin are from the body cavity.
You can also serve up claws or claw fingers, which are best used in soups because of their strong flavor. But one of the best things to make with fresh crab meat are crab cakes! Just don’t get, err, crabby if things don’t go your way today.”
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