How to choose Quality King Crab 1. Know the differences between the red king crab, blue king crab and golden king crab
Although there are many overlapping factors, each distinctive king crab species have different points that require attention.
For example, the shells of the blue king crab is so thick, that it is impossible to tell the meat yield by pressing on its shell. Thus, for blue king crab, the shell shouldn’t be pressed to check meat yield because the shell is too thick it may confuse the consumer that the blue king crab is full of meat.
Thus as there are different features of the king crabs, one must know the different species of king crabs and their differences.
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It is important to choose quality king crab but also we should know the differences between the king crab species so we don’t get ripped off. Red king crabs are the most expensive king crab with the highest demand as well.
The blue king crab price follows the red king crab where the golden king crab is the cheapest among the three king crab species.(Still they are all high value delicacies). However still the demand and supply is the main deciding factor of the price.
How to choose Quality King Crab 2. The darker, the more vivid the color of the king crab, the better quality
The blue king crab and the red king crab quality doesn’t always correlate with the darkness of the color. Thus for blue king crabs and red king crabs, unless the carcass color is pale white, the darkness and vividity of the color isn’t such a decisive factor in checking quality.
However, for golden king crabs, the darkness and the vividity of the color has a high correlation with the quality of the king crab. Higher quality golden king crabs have a darker brown golden color while golden king crabs with lesser quality have a rather pale white and light color
How to choose Quality King Crab 3. The shell of the king crab must be hard
*Blue King Crab need more attention on other criteria as its shell is thicker than the other species
King crabs with a soft shell indicate that it hasn’t been long since they’ve molted so the king crab didn’t have the time or opportunity to grow more.
Thus there are more empty space between the meat and the shell. Thus king crabs with quality have a firm shell and don’t have a soft shell.
*However blue king crab quality shouldn’t be checked by this. The Blue King crab’s shell is so thick and hard, even blue king crabs that just molted have a much harder shell compared with the other king crab species.
How to choose Quality King Crab 4. Check if the joints of the king crab legs are pink and plump without wrinkles
Before pressing on the legs, you should see whether the joints of the king crab legs are red, bright pink and plump. Regardless of whether red, blue or golden, king crabs with higher quality and much more meat have a pinkish reddish color on their joints.
King crabs full of meat have joints that literally pop out with a red pink color. This is literally because there is so much meat inside the meat pushes out the joints outside. King crabs with lesser quality have wrinkly and pale white joints.
How to choose Quality King Crab 5. Check if the belly pouch of the king crab is swollen
This is difficult but important. Blue king crabs, red king crabs and golden king crabs all have a special pouch on their belly. This is also edible and is quite a delicacy as well.
This belly pouch must not be swollen; however this belly pouch shouldn’t be buried inside as well. Thus the belly pouch of the king crab should be adequately full.
The belly pouch of a king crab swells if the king crab has intake too much sea water. This causes excessive weight that only increased the price and may be an indication that the king crab is dying out.
If the belly pouch of a king crab is buried inside and caved in, this literally means that the king crab doesn’t have much meat. Thus, the belly pouch of king crabs with a chance of higher quality shouldn’t be either swollen nor caved.
How to choose Quality King Crab 6. Press the inner thigh of the king crab leg to check meat yield
This method isn’t much applicable for blue king crabs. Blue king crabs as explained above, have very thick shells so even if the leg meat isn’t full, the blue king crab legs will be very hard and plump so even if you press an empty blue king crab leg, you can’t get an accurate estimation of the leg meat yield.
Golden king crab also have a relatively thick shell, however it is still soft enough to check the leg meat yield.
However still, for choosing quality golden king crab you should bear in mind of the thick shell. Red king crabs relatively have the softest shell among the three species.
You could check the leg meat amount by pressing on the inner thigh or the leg proximal to the carcass. By pressing the leg on the inner thigh, you could check how plump or full the leg is with meat.
How to choose Quality King Crab 7. Check legs or carcass of the king crab is clear. They shouldn’t be clear
The body and the legs of king crabs should be opaque and shouldn’t be clear. If you could see inside a king crab and there are clear regions where you could see through, literally the crab lacks meat that causes this.
How to choose Quality King Crab 8. Check if the Back shell is wide open from its carcass
King crabs do make space and open up their back shells from its carcass by normal activities. However, the width between the back shell and the body of normal king crabs is less than an inch, less than 2.5cm.
If a king crab starts to die out, they first widely open up their back shell and the back shell starts to split open making a gap over 1 inch, over 2.5cm, thus the quality becomes lower.
How to choose Quality King Crab 9. King Crabs that spread their legs wide open against gravity, are much more active
In South Korea or other Asian countries, king crabs shouldn’t be fresh but vividly alive. When held upside down, king crabs should have their legs held straight up.
The more vivid and active the king crab is, the more the king crab have their legs spread up high against gravity. King crabs that have less energy can’t hold their legs up with gravity and may have lesser quality.
How to choose Quality King Crab 10. Check the mouth of the king crab
In the aquarium, king crabs that move their mouth around are more active and vivid. Thus these may have better quality.
You could also check if the king crabs cover their mouth when they are outside of the water. King crabs that are vivid and active would seal their mouth with their mouth cover while king crabs that are less active don’t have the energy to block their mouth with their mouth cover that indicates a chance of lesser quality.
King crabs that have eaten a lot have dirty black residues around its mouth. You could check this by flipping the mouth cover of the king crab. King crabs with black residues on their mouth have a higher chance of being better quality.
