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The two most popular marine crabs in Thailand are the serrated crab Scylla serrata , called put hale , in Thai , which has a dark grey shell and reddish claws , and the somewhat smaller blue swimming crab , Portunus pelagicus , called pu ma , Which is greenish grey marked with white blotches and has bluish claws . Both these Crabs are good swimmers , for their hindmost pair of legs , here called crab sculls (kanchiang pu ,in Thai ) are flattened blades with which they row through the water. Buying Crabs , in particular , serratied crabs , should be alive when purchased. The crab should feel solid and firm and the underside should not be sunken. Male crabs are bigger and have larger claws , but females are preferred because the are meatier and contain eggs , or roe. In the female , the plate-like abdomen , which is folded forward over the rear part of the underside , is bell-shaped , whereas in the male , it is long , narrow , and tapering. Cleaning After being washed thoroughly , the crab is prepared either raw or after stemin . The abdomen is detached and discarded. The claws are pulled from the body and cracked open , and the meat is picked out. The body is opened by pulling or prying the underside from the shell . The spongy gills and the inedible parts at the front are cleared away , and then the meat is scooped out or the crab is sliced into pieces , depending on the recipe. Pickled crabs, pu dong khem, are relished and find their way into a number of popular dishes . Small crabs of barious species are packed in salt and are sold by the piece in the market. Horseshoe crabs , maengda thale , of two genera, Tachypleus and Carcinoscorpius , are present in Southeast Asia. They have a domed , horseshoe-shaped shell from which projects a spike – like tail . Around the beginning of the cool season , they congregate in shallow water near sandy beaches to mate and lay eggs . Egg – laden females are collected and their eggs are removed , steamed , and sold in the market .
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