The increase in the popularity of sushi has opened more people to the idea of eating fish raw since we already know that eating raw meat can be poisoning, but is it the same for the fish?.
There are many varieties in sushi dishes consumed raw; imagine sashimi of tuna, salmon, but is it the case for the crab?
Can you eat raw crab? No, practically, you cannot eat the crab’s meat raw for the simple reason of the hard texture that they naturally have and for the harmful pathogens, including bacteria and parasites that they carry if they are not properly cooked.
If you are still interested in knowing more about the raw crab and all its effects on your body, keep reading.
What happens if you eat uncooked crab?
Many things can happen. Since the meat of crab in raw may be exposed to harmful pathogens and different bacterias, you might be exposed to different types of diseases and symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.
Vibrio cholerae is one of the most common types of bacteria that can be found on raw crab meat, and it can be considered the leading cause of symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.
Other types of bacteria like Vibrio parahaemolyticus can cause different diseases, but they are generally always connected with diaherra and abdominal pain.
Can you get sick from uncooked crab?
Yes, eating raw crab almost certainly will make you sick since they have harmful pathogens. If not eliminated during the phases of cooking, they can make you feel bad, with diaherra, vomiting, and abdominal pain.
All the restaurants where you eat crab will cook the it, so you don’t have to worry about that. Some restaurants may decide to cook the crab differently by giving you the impression of uncooked crab, but do not worry because it is not the case.
This can be said with a high level of accuracy because uncooked crab meat is almost impossible to eat due to its tough moisture texture.
How do you tell if a crab is cooked or raw?
You will notice it immediately if the crab meat is hard and almost impossible to eat after the first bite, with a higher chance the crab meat is raw or not well cooked.
The only way of cooking that can make you doubt if the crab’s meat was cooked or not is when the restaurants cook the meat by boiling it.
While the others main types of cooking, grilling and steam, may not give you any space of doubt.
The best thing to do knowing the risk of eating raw crab is to ask the waiter to be sure about the origin of the meat and if it was cooked or not.
See also : Can You Eat Raw Mussels?
Does raw crab have parasites?
Yes, due to the habits where the crabs grow and live, with higher possibility crabs have parasites; in fact, the most known is Paragonimus westermani, a very dangerous parasite that can migrate until reaching the brain.
It may seem like a scary story, but it is not; the cause of being infected by those parasites is usually shown after weeks, and if not cured with all the attention of the case, it can cause severe damage.
Does sushi use raw crab?
If you are a sushi lover with a higher chance you will catch some restaurant offering you crab in sushi, but is it raw?
No, all the restaurants that prepare sushi with crab will never serve crab in raw, due to the impossibility, hardness of the meat, and the greater damage that can create to the human since it can contain parasites.
There are indeed different types of fish that can be eaten in raw without creating any poisoning to the human, but it is not the case for the crabs,
If you tried some sushi made with crabs, with a higher chance, it was cooked by boiling it, and then inserted on the top of the rise, but for sure it was not raw.
What does raw crab taste like?
It is not healthy and typical to eat raw crab, but the taste of raw crab is similar to shrimp, savory, salty, and chewier.
Because they can create severe damage to the human body, raw crab taste is never eaten raw, and it becomes difficult to understand the crab’s taste.
Anyway, if you are so curious to know in detail the taste of raw crab, you can always boil it and eat it. You now know very well how raw crab will taste like or almost !!.
Does crab need to be cooked?
Yes, crab meat needs to be cooked to eliminate the risk of contamination of parasites and bacteria that are present inside the crab’s meat if consumed raw.
There are various ways of cooking the crab; the most known and used are
- Grilling
- Boiling
- stem
- Roast
Depending on the desired taste you wish to have, you can choose among these 4 main types.
If you like the idea of keeping the taste of crab as original as possible, then you can easily go for the boiling method by simply adding the crab in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the crab.
See also : Lobster vs Crab: What’s the Difference?
Final thoughts
There are many varieties of fish that can be eaten raw, but for sure, it is not the case of crab; since it has many risks associated with them, it is well known worldwide that the crab must be eaten cooked and not raw.