This guide to the Chesapeake Bay crab culture includes dozens of recipes, a history of Bay crabs, and illustrated instructions on buying and cleaning the popular crustacean. As the main ingredient in chowders, pastas, and appetizers, the taste of blue crab is part of life in the Chesapeake Bay area, a region steeped in crab culture. Home to the oldest commercial fishing industries in the country, it provides approximately one-third of the crabs consumed in the United States.

Not only does this compilation of crab heritage contain tips on how to steam a crab without losing the claws, it is also a useful tool to take to the docks or market. A handy glossary helps readers tell the difference between a Jimmy and a Sally, not to mention a jumbo and a swamp dog. After listings of themed festivals and museum profiles early in the book, hearty recipes fill the pages with Crab Spring Rolls, Roasted Corn and Crab Chowder, Deviled Crab-Filled Crepes, and many more culinary delights.

Judy Colbert

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