Crab Terminology
There are over 4,400 varieties of crabs, as mentioned in the accompanying crab variety chart. Check this handy reference for crab terms you may come across in your culinary endeavors.• Back fin or Backfin: Meat from the breast of the blue crab.
• Ballie: A female blue crab carrying eggs, also known as "bally" or "lemon-belly."
• Buck: A blue crab whose new shell has begun to harden too much, also known as "buckram," "papershell," and "buckler."
• Buster: A blue crab in the process of shedding its shell, also known as "peeler."
• Comer: A blue crab getting fat and ready to shed its shell.
• Crab Boil: A packaged mixture of herbs and spices added to water in which crab is cooked. The blend usually includes mustard seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, whole allspice, whole cloves, dried ginger pieces and red chiles.
• Crab Butter: This is the white-yellow fat inside the back of the shell of a large crab. It is considered a delicacy and is often added to dressings and sauces served with crab.
• Crab Cake: A mixture of crab, spices and binders flattened into patties and fried, originating in Maryland.
• Crab Imperial: An American favorite, this is a mixture of crabmeat covered with a white sauce, spooned into blue-crab shells, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and/or bread crumbs and baked until golden brown.
• Crab Louie or Louis: A crabmeat salad made with hard-boiled eggs and lettuce topped with a dressing, whose origin is credited to numerous sources.
• Jimmy: A male blue crab.
• Flake: Small pieces of light and dark meat from the body and claws of the crab.
• Lump: Whole pieces of white meat from the body of the crab.
• Rankpeeler: A blue crab one to three days before it sheds its shell, particularly prized by chefs.
• Roe: The eggs of the crab, a delicacy required in some soups.
• She-crab: A female crab.
• Soft-shell: A blue crab that has shed its shell, before it has grown a new shell. The crab periodically sheds its shell to grow a larger one. Soft-shell crabs are in their prime from April to September. They are normally cooked whole and have no waste.
• Sponge: A female blue crab carrying eggs. Also called "punk" and "sook."
More About Crabs and Crab Recipes:
• Crab Selection and Storage• What is a she-crab? FAQ
• Crab Varieties
• Crab Terminology
• Peekytoe Crabs
• Crabs and Health
• Crab History
• Crab Recipes
Crab Photos © 2008 Peggy Trowbridge Filippone, licensed to About.com, Inc.
