Here at Costas Inn, we love crabs. Specifically, we love the Maryland Blue Hard Shell Crab. The Maryland Blue Hard Shell Crab, also known as Callinectes sapidus, was originally chosen as Maryland’s state crustacean in 1989. But, the tradition of crabs and crab cakes have both been around for centuries in the Maryland area. The Maryland Blue Crab is distinguishable by its bright blue claws and a spiny, olive green shell.
The scientific name for the Maryland Blue Crab, Callinectes sapidus, comes from the Greek words of “beautiful” and “swimmer.” The Maryland Blue Crab is a bottom dweller that relies on the Chesapeake Bay’s habitats. They are abundant in shallow water during warm weather, hanging out among the bay grass beds. The males are usually farther up in the fresher water of the Chesapeake Bay and the females tend to congregate together in the saltier water. Male blue crabs are known as “jimmies” and mature females are called “sooks.” All Maryland Blue Crabs have a pair of paddle shaped legs that are excellent for swimming.
Maryland blue crabs don’t live very long though! There are few Maryland blue crabs that live longer than three years.
The blue crab is one of the most important species harvested in the Bay, and has the highest value of any commercial fishery and supports a recreational fishery of significant value. The annual harvest of hard crabs from Chesapeake Bay accounts for over 50% of total U.S. landings! The largest crab recorded from Maryland was a male measuring 9 inches; however bigger crabs (10-11 inches) have been captured in DNR crab surveys.
Now that you know some facts, get some Maryland crab cakes from Costas Inn! Now thanks to online ordering, you can now get our great Maryland crab cakes no matter what state you live in. Order our famous and award winning Maryland crab cakes online and we’ll ship them fresh to your door. We will gladly ship them nationwide. Crabs, crab cakes, party packages, clothing, seasonings, and more available to order online now!
All of our crabs at Costas Inn are hand sorted (over 11,000 crabs are sorted per week) by size and weight to its specific price specification. Once sorted Crabs are skillfully steamed to order and served by our friendly staff. Each crab embodies the excellence and quality Costas Inn strives for in creating what we hope will be an enjoyable dining experience.
So order some crab cakes today online or make a reservation at our restaurant in Baltimore and see for yourself why our crab cakes are a delectable treat that people all over Maryland and all over the entire country can’t get enough of. And since we recently discounted our shipping rates, there is no better time than now to get your hands on some Maryland crab cakes.
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Sources:
Blue Crab – Maryland Fish Facts, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Blue Crab, Chesapeake Bay Program