During the summer season, if you live in Maryland, chances are you will consume a Maryland Blue Crab at least once. Whether it is steamed, used in a seafood salad, soup, or even a crab cake from Box Hill, Maryland Blue Crabs are a staple in the state of Maryland during the summer season. While you may consume Maryland Blue Crabs often, how much do you really know about the popular crustacean?
To start our crash course in Maryland Blue Crab facts, the blue crab was discovered in 1896 by scientist Mary Jane Rathbun. The scientific name for the blue crab includes “Rathbun” to honor the scientist who made the discovery. Did you know the translation for the scientific name? Callinectes sapidus Rathbun translates to “beautiful savory swimmer”, which also pays homage to the savory taste of the blue crab meat. How quickly would you be able to identify the sex of a blue crab? It’s actually quite easy to identify the sex of the blue crab because of the distinct differences in the two sexes:
- Female- Claws are red-tipped with a broader abdominal apron
- Male- Claws are completely blue with a more narrow abdominal apron
So how long does a typical blue crab live? After reaching maturity in about 12-18 months of life, a blue crab normally lives for 3-4 years in the bay. The largest blue crab on record caught in the Chesapeake Bay weighed 1.1 pounds and was measured at 10.72 inches. A fact everyone knows? The Maryland Blue Crab is essential to life in Maryland for not only humans, but our ecosystem as well. Blue crabs are essential to the life and health of the Chesapeake Bay, which is why efforts are continuously being made to protect the species.
No one understands the importance of the Maryland Blue Crab quite like Box Hill. At Box Hill, our famous crab cake recipe depends on the blue crab. We use only Maryland Blue Crab meat to create our crab cakes with minimal filler in order to maintain an authentic Maryland taste. Our crab cakes are seasoned perfectly to highlight the sweet and savory taste of the Maryland Blue Crab.
Want to try our famous crab cakes? At Box Hill, we make crab cakes available to you in a number of ways:
- Call us at 410.515.3662
- Visit us at 2915 Emmorton Road, Abingdon, Maryland 21009
- Online Ordering
Enjoy clicking “Like” and “Follow”? Be sure to click your way over to Box Hill’s page on Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.
Sources:
http://msa.maryland.gov/msa/mdmanual/01glance/html/symbols/crab.html
http://chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/fish-facts/blue-crab
Order Today!Tags: Chesapeake Bay, crab cakes, Maryland, Maryland Blue Crab