When do crabs have roe, and can you still eat it if the crab roe has turned black?
It is crab-eating season right now, and every seafood restaurant is rolling out all kinds of crab dishes, especially those full of crab roe and crab paste that make your mouth water. So when do crabs have roe? Can you still eat it if the crab roe has turned black?
When do crabs have roe?
Generally, crabs have roe in autumn. To be precise, when the northwest wind starts blowing, it is time to eat crabs. As the saying goes, "females in the ninth month, males in the tenth month" of the lunar calendar, meaning that in the ninth lunar month female crabs are at their plumpest and have the most roe. In the tenth lunar month, male crabs are full of paste, while female crabs are relatively poorer. So if you want to eat crab roe, the best time is the ninth lunar month (the tenth month works too). At this time, any crab with a round apron will have roe.
Can you still eat crab roe that has turned black?
No, you cannot eat it. The black substance in the middle of the crab roe is the crab's stomach, which also contains sand, insects, water plants and other food residue. It is very unclean and unhygienic, so it is not recommended for consumption. However, since these substances are inside the stomach, removing the crab stomach does not affect whether the crab roe can be eaten.
Reasons why crab roe turns black
Dead crab
Crabs are scavengers, and their food is diverse and varied. Most crabs carry toxins and parasites in their bodies, so within about ten minutes of dying, a crab is invaded by toxins and parasites. If such a crab is then steamed, the crab roe will appear bruised and black, and it is not suitable for eating.
Female crab about to spawn
Some people only see crab roe turn black when eating female crabs, and in some of these cases it is normal. The fertilized eggs develop inside the female crab for a period, and when they are about to be expelled from the body, the entire crab roe changes color, usually to black or gray. This kind of crab roe is safe to eat.
Environmental pollution
Raising crabs has very high requirements for water quality. Many farmers, for the sake of profit, raise crabs in ponds, rice paddies and other places with a lot of silt. The crabs themselves become seriously contaminated, and crab roe is one of the internal organs and secretory glands of the crab, so it too can be mildly affected, causing the crab roe to turn yellow. This kind of crab is not suitable for eating.
Crab stomach
Some crab lovers also bite into a black thing while eating crab roe. This is the crab stomach, which also contains some food residue from the crab. Although the crab stomach cannot be eaten, it does not affect whether the crab roe can be eaten.
Soft-shell inner membrane
As crabs grow and develop, they molt their shell every so often. For a period beforehand, a black membranous substance forms between the hard shell and the crab roe. After steaming, this inner membrane covers the crab roe, giving the false impression that the crab roe has turned black. In fact, this kind of black crab roe can still be eaten.