Why are hairy crabs bitter?

Usually, when buying hairy crabs, if they taste a bit bitter after being cooked, some people will not dare to eat them again, because they are afraid that the hairy crabs have gone bad. In fact, there are many reasons for the bitterness. For example, the hairy crabs have not been fully mature. In addition, if the cooking method is not done well, this phenomenon may also occur. Of course, we must be vigilant if there is a problem with the crab itself, which may also cause the bitterness.

Why are hairy crabs bitter?

1. The crab is not yet mature

The bitter crab roe is different from the golden crab roe we often see. The crab roe is lighter in color, thinner, and cannot clump into pieces. This is because the crab is too tender, the season has not come yet, and the crab meat is not thick at this time.

Recommendation: Keep the hairy crabs for a while before eating them.

2. Inadequate preparation of crabs

Poor crab preparation can also cause the crab roe to taste bitter. Preparation work should be sufficient before cooking hairy crabs. Except for Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, crabs must be kept in clean water for two days before being cooked. After two days, the crabs were basically “cleaned up”. A clean crab will have all the dirt in its stomach eliminated, so the crab roe will naturally not be bitter.

3. The crab is already sick

The roe of sick crabs is bitter and the flesh will not be firm. Such crabs are easy to die, and some are very large but not heavy enough. There are some gray-brown spots or patterns on the shells of sick hairy crabs. This is what is commonly known as "coccidiosis" - a common disease of crabs. Be careful to identify it when buying.

Can you eat bitter crab roe?

1. Tender crabs can be eaten even though their roe is bitter

The bitter crab roe is characterized by its color, being relatively thin, not clumping together, and not a large amount of it. This is mainly because the crabs are too tender and have not fully developed. This kind of crab roe is edible, but the bitter taste is unpleasant.

2. Dirty crabs have bitter roe and cannot be eaten

The crab roe is relatively full, but the color is slightly lighter than normal crab roe. Because crab roe is composed of egg cells, crab digestive tissue, and gonad tissue, the bitterness may also be caused by the crabs not being "clean". There are dirt residues in the crab roe, so this kind of crab roe is not suitable for eating.