Everybody Loves Crab Cakes - Food

Crab cakes are delicious treats that are enjoyed all over the country. They are believed to have originated on the east coast of the United States in colonial times, and are most commonly associated with Baltimore, Maryland. This is due to the abundance of the Atlantic blue crabs in the Chesapeake Bay area, which are commonly used in the making of these delicious culinary treats. On the west coast, the most popular crustacean used in the tasty cakes is the Dungeness crab.

Recipes vary and can be as simple as adding a few basic ingredients to the crab or as complex as mixing and combining a list of 20 or more ingredients. The cakes can be as small as a walnut or as big as a large hamburger patty. They can be pan-fried, deep-fried, baked, broiled or grilled.

Boardwalk crab cakes combine ingredients such as breadcrumbs, milk, egg and mayonnaise, and are generally served on a hamburger bun or roll. They are often topped with lettuce, pickles and tomato, and are a convenient food to eat while walking up and down the boardwalk. Restaurant or gourmet crab cakes, use fewer ingredients and generally incorporate a higher-grade, larger chunk crabmeat. The cakes are served plain with a lemon wedge on the side, topped with a Worcestershire, tartar sauce, mustard or cocktail sauce, or on an open-faced sandwich.

Every region adds its own flair and taste to their recipes. Asian fish sauce can add an oriental flavor, while topping the cakes with a zesty mango sauce creates crab cakes in a Caribbean style. Some people use imitation crabmeat to cut the cost, which is usually made of fish like Pollack or Hoki. There are even recipes that call for zucchini, egg, butter and seasoning, and contain no crabmeat at all.

Crab cakes can be served as hors doeuvres or appetizers, or make a great main course for brunch, lunch or supper. Their diverse nature and decadent taste has made them the official food of the US Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racings second jewel, The Preakness Stakes, which is held annually in Baltimore on the third Saturday of May. Crab cakes have also helped the delicate meat gain popularity in the west, where the Dungeness crab, named after the city in Washington, was named the crustacean of Oregon in 2009 thanks to its importance to the Oregon economy and the efforts of lobbying schoolchildren of West Linn Oregon. Crab is definitely a delicious treat, and crab cakes are the perfect way to prepare and serve crabmeat that is sure to please everyone.