Crab Meat 101: Know Your Crab

One simple crab yields four different kinds of meat — each with a specific flavor and use. Follow our guide to know which type will work best for your recipe:

SECTION OF CRAB	WHAT IT IS	WHEN TO USE IT	WHY
Legs	Flaky, full-flavored reddish-brown meat from the claws, legs, and swimming fins.	Hot crab dip, tacos, cioppino or other seafood stews.	Assertive flavor, lower cost.
White	Mild, flaky meat from the front portions of the backfin; also known as special grade.	Crab cakes, bisque, crab balls, and omelets.	Economical alternative to backfin meat.
Backfin	Smaller pieces of tender lump meat from the heart of the backfin.	Crab salad, stuffing for fish or vegetables, crab risotto, and crab cakes.	Beautiful, flavorful, and versatile.
Jumbo Lump	Large, firm morsels of rich, white backfin meat — the filet mignon of crab.	Crab Louis, crab imperial, and solid-meat crab cakes.	Incomparably elegant and sumptuous.