While east coasters are stuffing themselves this Thursday with stuffing-filled turkeys, west coasters will be bringing another tradition to the Thanksgiving Day table: crabs. This time of year marks the start of the Dungeness crab season, named for the port of Dungeness, Washington.
Last week, as fisherman cast their crab traps into the water and waited to catch the crustaceans in the Pillar Point Harbor in San Mateo, California, five ships awash with 300 tons of squid crowded the area, inundating the harbor’s loading and unloading capacity. This caused some delays and frustrations, but Californians can nevertheless give thanks, as wholesale buyers are set to welcome a deluge of Dungeness crabs for the holiday.
Fisherman and buyers fixed the price at $3 per pound of crab, a significant jump from the cost last year, at $2.25 a – a fee that caused enough controversy to delay negotiations, preventing Californians from gobbling up the seafood delicacy before eating their gobbler. Those in the fishing industry believe buyers so readily agreed to the price jump this year because the catch was expected to be smaller than in seasons past due to the natural cycles in the crab population.
Either way, gourmand Californians will be having some savory swimmers to go along with their Thanksgiving turkey this week. Tempted to partake of the tradition? Order crabcakes online from Baltimore-based seafood restaurant Costa’s Inn – we are currently offering discounted shipping rates. You can also join us in our dining room for some pre-and post-holiday fresh steamed crabs!
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Dungeness crab season set to begin Thursday