Autumn is the season for eating crab. Eating crab in moderation can bring many health benefits, but there are also many taboos to be aware of. Let's take a look.
Taboos of Eating Crab
1. Eat live crab, not dead crab.
The stiffening and autolysis periods of a river crab after death are greatly shortened. Bacteria in the crab's body will rapidly multiply and spread to the crab meat, causing the consumer to vomit, experience abdominal pain, and have diarrhea.
The shell of a fresh, live crab is dark blue-black and shiny, with a full navel and a clean white belly. In contrast, a dying crab has a yellow shell, softer legs, and difficulty righting itself.
2. Steam or cook crab thoroughly; do not eat it raw.
Crabs feed on animal carcasses or humus, so their body surface, gills, and gastrointestinal tracts are covered with various bacteria and sediment. Some people get sick because they don't wash the crabs clean enough, don't steam or cook them thoroughly, or eat raw drunken or pickled crabs, ingesting the germs or parasites inside. If you steam or cook them thoroughly before eating, this problem won't occur.
3. Eat crab immediately after steaming; do not store it.
If you can't finish it, the leftovers must be stored in a clean, cool, and ventilated place. When you eat it, you must re-cook it thoroughly.
4. Don't eat crab carelessly.
When eating crab, after opening the shell, pay attention to the four removals: remove the crab stomach, which is the small triangular bony package inside the crab's shell. First, eat the top shell part, use a small spoon to scoop out the middle crab stomach, and gently suck the surrounding crab roe clean. Note, do not suck the middle triangular-shaped crab stomach open, as it contains dirty sediment and should be discarded. After eating the top shell, move to the body. First, use scissors to cut off the excess crab legs and mouth. Use the handle of a spoon to pick out the hexagonal piece in the middle of the crab's body; that is the crab heart and should be discarded. Also, remove the crab intestine, which is the black line from the crab stomach to the crab's navel; and the crab gills, which are the two rows of soft, eyebrow-like things on the crab's abdomen. All of these should be removed.
5. Eat in moderation; do not eat too much.
Crab meat is considered "cold" in nature. Those with a weak spleen and stomach should be especially careful to avoid abdominal pain and diarrhea.
6. Try to eat less drunken or raw crab.
Although raw crab is delicious, it may not only have various viruses and bacteria attached to it but also may be parasitized with lung fluke cysts. Simply marinating it in yellow wine, baijiu, or other alcoholic beverages cannot achieve a thorough sterilization effect.
7. Do not eat with tea.
Do not drink tea for 1 hour before or after eating crab. Because tea can dilute stomach acid and cause certain components of the crab to solidify, which is not good for digestion and absorption and may also cause abdominal pain and diarrhea.
8. Do not eat with persimmons.
When crabs are in season, persimmons are also ripe. These two foods should not be eaten at the same time. The tannic acid and other components in persimmons can cause the crab meat protein to solidify. This solidified substance will remain in the intestine for a long time, ferment and spoil, causing vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and possibly even calculus.
9. Note that the four main parts of the crab should not be eaten.
① Crab Gills: The crab's respiratory organs, which are very dirty. Remove them first after opening the shell.
② Crab Intestine: Contains the crab's excrement.
③ Crab Stomach: The triangular packet hidden in the crab roe. Like the intestine, it also contains the crab's excrement.
④ Crab Heart: Also known as the crab's hexagon. This is in the crab roe and can be hard to find, but its hexagonal shape is very conspicuous.