Autumn is the time when crabs gain weight, so many people eat crabs in autumn. Crabs are indeed a more delicious seafood, and their nutritional value is also very high. Many people are particularly fond of crabs. I like to eat the roe of crabs, but some people say that the roe of crabs is inedible. So, can the roe of crabs be eaten? What exactly is the roe of crabs?

1. What exactly is crab roe?

Many people think that crab roe is just like crab eggs, which are the same as the eggs in the belly of fish that we usually see. However, this statement is not entirely correct. Crab roe actually refers to the ovaries and digestive glands and other tissues in the crab. It is orange-yellow and delicious. Crab roe is not crab eggs. Although the ingredients are basically the same as crab eggs, there are essential differences between the two.

Crab roe does contain egg cells that have not been excreted from the body, but there are other crab organs, glands, tissue fluid and other substances, not just crab eggs. When the crab roe becomes larger in size and turns bright orange, it means that the gonads of the female crab have matured. At this time, crab eggs are produced and expelled from the body. The egg cells remaining in the gonads in the body are still part of the crab roe.

2. Can crab roe be eaten?

Although the New York Department of Health has listed crab roe as a forbidden part, it believes that the crab roe we like to eat contains a large number of chemical pollutants. Accumulation of substances in the human body can harm the human body. But we still have a special liking for crabs and will never give up on crab roe.

So, can crab roe be eaten? Is it right or wrong for the Health Bureau to “stop crab roe”? Chinese experts have long made judgments on this issue. Whether you can eat the roe of a crab actually depends on the water environment the crab is in. If crabs grow in good waters, the heavy metal content of crabs will be quite low. If crabs grow in waters with serious industrial pollution, they will absorb pollutants from the food chain, and crab roe has a stronger ability to absorb pollutants than crab meat, so it is not suitable edible.

It should be noted that the recommendation to ban crab roe and crab paste in the United States is mainly aimed at wild crabs from natural water bodies, because many people in the United States have the habit of going out to fish and catch crabs. Most of the crabs commonly eaten in our country are farmed crabs, so the recommendations of the New York City Health Department in the United States do not apply to our country. The environment for farmed crabs in my country is relatively easy to control. Farmed crabs grow quickly and do not take as long to accumulate pollutants as wild crabs. Therefore, the environment for raising crabs in China is relatively safer, and crab roe can be eaten with confidence.

3. Is the nutritional value of crab roe high?

As the saying goes, "Nine females and ten males" means that female crabs should be eaten in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, because the roe of female crabs grows longer in September. The most plump, male crabs should be eaten in the tenth month of the lunar calendar, because the roe of male crabs grows thickest in October. The nutritional value of crab roe is very high. It is rich in protein, fat, phospholipids, vitamins and other nutrients. When selecting, the ones with bright color, deep yellow and no impurities are the best. However, it should be noted that people with high blood lipids and high cholesterol should not eat more crab roe, and the daily intake should be controlled at about 40-70g. After all, crabs are seasonal foods and should not be eaten all year round.

4. What kind of crab roe is more delicious?

Large, orange crab roe is more delicious. This is because when the crab roe becomes larger in size and turns bright orange, the gonads of the female crab are fully mature, shiny and have the best flavor.