Lobster and crabs are certainly one of the most loved seafood that every person wishes to eat for dinner or lunch during the day; since Crab and lobster in the first appeal might be similar, there are a lot of differences between them.
If you are not a habitual eater of lobster and Crab, it isn’t easy to understand the differences in taste among the 2 since they share the same sweet flavor.
What is the difference between lobster and Crab? The main difference between lobster and Crab is their shape; the Crab has a more circular exoskeleton, while the lobster is more prolonged and generally more prominent. Other main differences include the price, wherein the lobster will be more expensive than Crab in the majority of the case.
But this is not everything, since there are many other things to know about lobster and Crab, so what are you waiting for? Keep reading.
Lobster vs crab differences in taste
If you doubt which seafood to have for lunch or dinner, and you have to choose between lobster vs. Crab, some information here can help you decide which taste may be closer to your wishes.
The taste of both lobster and Crab will vary depending on how they are cooked.
There are many ways in which lobsters and Crabs can be cooked; the main ones are :
Grilled, boiled, steamed, and some rare cases fried.
Despite the differences in cooking, lobster tends to have a sweeter and lighter taste than the Crab.
Another point that you might notice is the texture; generally, lobsters are flaky and, when eaten, don’t share the fish smell, which can be found on the crab meat with higher possibility.
Lobster vs Crab: Appearance differences
You can skip this part if you are already familiar with the appearance differences since it can sound obvious.
Anyway, crabs tend to have a more circular shape; while the lobster has a longer body, both have crawls in the front part of their body.
Both can come in a different variety of colors and sizes, and if you see both at least for one time, for sure in the future occasion, you will immediately be able to recognize the differences between crabs and lobsters.
One of the main distinguishable characteristics between Crab and lobster is the size of claws.
Lobsters tend to have very prominent claws that can reach the entire length of the lobster in the majority of the case.
Opposite case for the Crab, where the length of them are limited.
Another essential factor that can be helpful to recognize crabs and lobsters is the style of walking that distinguishes them.
Lobsters tend to walk forward and backward, while crabs walk sideways.
Lobster vs Crab: Cost Differences
The price differences between lobster and crabs are not easy to distinguish, since it is true that in the majority of the restaurant we will find a higher price for the lobster, this might not be the case for some particular type of Crab as the king crab legs.
The cost of king crab legs per libre ranges between $60 to $75 in some parts of the world.
While the cost of lobster in the per libre ranges on an average of $50 to $60.
The meat of the lobster is considered more prestigious because of its sweeter taste compared to the Crab.
One thing to keep in mind when evaluating the cost of both is the quantity of meat present on both of the shellfish.
For the price you pay for king crab legs, you will have more meat than the lobster meat, where you will have less meat.
Lobster vs Crab: Nutritions differences
If there is something that both lobster and crab share is the nutrient value. Both are shellfish with low carbs, low fats, and high in protein.
Containing essential nutrients for our body, like zinc, selenium, and potassium.
To give you a better overview of the nutritions of crabs and lobsters, you can take a look at the value listed below:
lobster nutrition facts 100g
There are 97 calories in 100 grams of lobster.
Calorie breakdown: 6% fat, 6% carbs, 89% protein.
crabs nutrition facts 100g
There are 119 calories in 1 cup, cooked, flaked, and Crab pieces.
Calorie breakdown: 17% fat, 0% carbs, 83% protein.
(Source)
As we can notice from the value above, there are slight differences among the 2, as the crabs tend to have more protein for 100g and 0% Of carbs.
If you have to evaluate which one to eat based on nutrition facts, we can say they are pretty much similar, and there aren’t distinct differences among the 2.
Lobster vs crab difference in size
In the first part of the article, we already discuss the difference in the appearance between the crabs and lobsters, but now, we will take a closer and deeper insight regarding their size.
The size of lobster is usually bigger compared to regular crabs they can have a range in size that goes from 30 to 50 cm, and the weight of it can go from an average of 700 gr, to 3-5 kg, and in some special cases reaching more than 10kg.
The size of Crab will vary depending upon the type of crabs; in general, they are smaller in dimensions than the lobsters; the average size of them is around 20 cm and a weight of 500 gr.
Anyway, some species of crabs like the red king crabs can reach incredible dimensions, something like 1.8m of leg span, with a weight of more than 12kg.
See also : Can You Eat Raw Crab?
Lobster vs crab difference in seasonality
If you will go to almost any type of restaurant close to the sea, or some source of water, after reading the menu, with a high percentage of possibility you will notice the presence of the lobster.
And one of the things that I always thought was, when is the season of lobster and crabs? are they always present on the menu? How was that possible?
The seasonality of lobster goes through the year, but the best months to buy lobster fall in the spring between May and June.
And then again in October and November.
While the season for crabs is between October and January, where you usually can find the largest and with more possibility fresher.
Lobster vs crabs differences in types
Both lobsters and crabs come in a variety of species, there are many types of both lobsters and crabs around the world, and depending on the area where you live, you might be eating different typologies.
But if there is something familiar among all the types, is that they share a fantastic taste.
Lobster types
The first difference that must be made is between the cold and warm water lobsters; the warm water lobsters are usually caught in Asia, the Caribbean, and the Mediterranean seas. They usually share a more fish taste than the cold water lobster.
While cold water lobster is usually caught at New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
This type of lobster is usually tastier, and they come at a higher price when compared to warm water lobsters.
You might be interested: Benefits of Spiny Lobster
Crabs types
If you are a crabs lover, and for some reason, you find yourself in a crab specialist restaurant, with the higher possibility, the menu was full of options that show you the different types of crabs available, well as well as for the lobsters, the world of crabs have an incredible number of variants, and the most common one are;
- Dungeness Crab
- King Crab
- Spider Crab
- Rock Crab
- Blue Crab
- Softshell Crab
And many other varieties that come with the same incredible taste make the crabs one of the lovest seafood around the world.
Final thoughts
- The taste of lobsters is usually preferred among most people since it is sweeter.
- For an eye that is not an expert, it might be challenging to catch the difference between crabs and lobsters.
- Both Crabs and lobsters come with almost the same nutrient value.
- There are different types of lobsters and crabs types, both sharing the same unique taste, making crabs and lobsters one of the most loved seafood worldwide.