Crustaceans in the Arabian Gulf (I): Crabs 阿拉伯灣的甲殼類 (I)螃蟹

The Arabian Gulf is a shallow sea with depth mostly less than 60 m. The seabed is generally covered by soft-materials, such as sand and mud. In the nearshore waters along the coastline, there are belts of sea-grass/macro-algae meadows, which nourish plenty of invertebrates and fishes. According to the archeological study , people living along the coast of the Arabian Gulf have been harvest various marine organisms for thousands of years. 

There is a misunderstanding that the Arabian people do not eat anything from the sea but fish, which is not the case at least in present days. Crustaceans, crabs, sand lobsters, and prawns, are one of the most important invertebrates that are commercially harvested by the fishermen in the Arabian Gulf. Shrimps, either caught from the wide or cultured in the ponds, are popular food items widely consumed by the people living in Saudi Arabia. Lobsters are rare and expensive delicacy often found in the restaurants. On the contrary, the crabs, mostly the blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus), are also harvested in large quantities but receive seemingly far less attention from the local people. In Bahrain, crabs are listed in the menu at times, but it is rarely found in the restaurants in eastern Saudi Arabia, suggesting that people do not have good appetite for crabs [Remark: Blue swimming crab is considered as four different species, and the one distributed in the Arabian Gulf is proposed to be Portunus segnis. However, i still keep use the old name Portunus pelagicus for the blue swimming crab.] 

阿拉伯灣是一個深度多在60米以下的淺海地區，海底多是軟質的沙泥混合地質所組成。在靠近海岸的地區，有一連串的海草/海藻床，孵育了大量的無脊椎動物和魚類。根據研究指出，在阿拉伯半島沿海地區的人民，捕撈海洋生物為食，已經有數千年的歷史。通常對於海灣地區的阿拉伯人有個誤解，認為海洋生物他們只吃魚。但至少在現今，他們不只吃魚，也很愛吃蝦子。不管是野生或是養殖蝦，沙烏地人都消費了相當可觀的量。龍蝦，也是常出現在餐廳裡的高級美食。然而相對於前兩類，螃蟹類在這裡的確沒什麼出現。在對岸的巴林，偶爾還會出現在餐廳的菜單上，但是在沙烏地東邊，螃蟹極少出現在餐廳，代表出沙烏地當地對於螃蟹可能還沒有很高的接受度。

遠洋梭子蟹(市仔)是沙烏地阿拉伯灣海域最常見的食用螃蟹種類。

  Blue swimming crab (Portunus pelagicus) is the most common commercial crab species

市仔在巴林偶爾會出現在餐廳，但在東沙烏地相當少見。

 Crabs show up occasionally in the Bahrain restaurants, but is rarely seen in those in eastern Saudi

在沙烏地阿拉伯東岸，螃蟹漁業最主要在南邊的海域

In eastern Saudi Arabia, the crab fishing ground mainly located at the southern part

魚貨上岸時，習慣是將雌雄分開。這是身體偏褐色、大螯較短的雌性。

The fishermen usually separate males from the females. Female crabs are brown-bodied with shorter claws.

雄蟹通常體型較大、步足藍色、大螯也較長

Male crabs are usually larger with longer claws.

這邊海巡檢查蠻盡責的，每一箱螃蟹都要倒在平台上，確定沒有夾帶東西。

All the landings have to be checked before going to the market.

這漁港漁民主要用陷阱抓螃蟹，過期的魚就拿來當誘餌

This fisherman uses crab pot to catch the crabs, and the out-dated fish are the baits

開始烹調，先來個兩隻吧

Let's have two crabs for the dinner

港式避風塘炒蟹

Crab fried with Crispy Garlic (Hong Kong Style)

三杯炒蟹

Fried crab with Thai basil

鏽斑蟳 Charybdis feriatus 俗名花市仔，在沙烏地阿拉伯灣海域極少抓到，可說是夢幻的 種類。

Crucifix crab (Charybdis feriatus) is a crab rarely found in the Saudi waters in the Gulf.

鏽斑蟳味道是和市仔好上一些。

Crucifix crab tastes a bit better than the blue swimming crab.

Seafood is popular in Saudi Arabia, as in other countries. However, unlike in Asia countries where blue swimming crabs have decent prices, the crabs in eastern Saudi Arabia are among the cheapest item in the market with little interests from the local people. Frankly, I do not think the crabs here are as tasty as I have tried in Taiwan and other East Asian countries. Two critical issues are the lacks of proper preservation and food processing techniques. All crabs landed are dead, and therefore they do not fit well with Taiwanese or Chinese style dishes that are better with live crabs. (I do not have the courage, or a strong stomach, to try to make the "green mango salad with raw crab"). Also, there is no (or least little) industries that could peel the crab and sell the meat, either being frozen or in cans. Considering the fact of lack of appetite on crabs from the locals, most of the crabs landed in eastern Saudi Arabia should have gone to other places. This industry could have better profit if the cabs can be kept alive (for the Asia markets), or the meat could be extracted (for the western markets).

沙烏地就像其他國家一樣，海鮮相當的受歡迎。在亞洲國家，市仔要價通常不斐。但是在沙烏地東岸，螃蟹通常是最便宜的選項，當地人民對螃蟹也興趣不大。老實說，這邊的螃蟹肉蠻軟的，比不上和我在其他國家吃到的螃蟹 。這邊的螃蟹漁業，缺乏適當的保存技術，也沒有適當的食物處理技術。上岸的螃蟹都是死蟹，也因此在強調活蟹的台灣或中國料理上，就沒有那麼適合 (我也不敢嘗試，也沒那個胃，去做生螃蟹芒果沙拉)。另外，這邊也沒有引入螃蟹取肉技術。考量這邊人民對螃蟹沒什麼興趣，捕撈上岸的螃蟹，相信是輸出去其他地方。因此如果能夠引入活蟹保存技術，或是取蟹肉工廠，來滿足亞洲或歐美市場，這產業可能會有更高的獲利。

Crustaceans (II): Lobsrers 甲殼類 (II): 海戰車和龍蝦

In this blog, I am going to introduce the "star" of the crustaceans, the lobster. It is interesting to state here that in Arabic here, the lobster is called "Um al Rubiyan", meaning the mother of the prawn. The coast of the western Arabian Gulf is mostly sandy and muddy, and therefore, it is rare to catch "rock lobster" in the wild. Presently some concrete breakwaters have been deployed to create "corniche" place for local residents. The crevices between breakwaters might be suitable habitats for the rock lobsters, as they did in Taiwan, but so far I have never seen or heard that rock lobsters are caught there. Although the rock lobsters are available in some local retail markets, they are (as per the fish salesperson) imported from rocky area, such as Oman, or the Red Sea.

在這一篇文章，來介紹甲殼類的明星: 龍蝦。有趣的是，在這邊阿拉伯文龍蝦稱為"Um al Rubiyan"，蝦子的媽媽，也顯示阿拉伯人的幽默。通常龍蝦喜歡棲息在礁岩的縫隙中，但阿拉伯灣西側基本上都是沙泥灘，所以幾乎都不會看到龍蝦出現。近幾年沙烏地政府改造沙灘，在海邊放置許多人造石頭並建成海岸公園供居民遊憩。因此這些人造礁岩的縫隙，可能增加一些龍蝦類的潛在棲地，就如同台灣有釣客會在消波塊的縫隙中找到龍蝦。但是至少目前為止，我都沒有在這邊聽到在人造礁岩中發現龍蝦的案例，可能還少了什麼因素吧。雖然在當地魚市場偶爾可看到長鬚的龍蝦，但是幾乎都可以確定是來自國外的進口貨，可能是南邊的歐曼，也可能是來自於紅海那側吧。

Rock lobster from local retail market, possibly imported from Oman.

這邊市場上買得到的"真"龍蝦，應該是從阿曼進口的舶來品。

The most common lobster in the Western Arbaian Gulf, Sand lobster Thenus orientalis

阿拉伯灣西岸最常見的龍蝦，沙龍蝦(海戰車, Thenus orientalis)

Take two sand lobsters for a try

拿兩隻來嘗試看看

Simply wrapped in the alum foil and roasted in the oven. They are more being steamed.

用鋁箔紙包好後直接放進烤箱烤。因為包起來烤，所以反而比較像是用蒸的。

More lobsters. This time add they are roasted with some salt.

更多的龍蝦。這次加點鹽烤。

It seemed that they were in the oven for too long. The meat was better but also drier. It is OK, just like a bigger bite of a prawn.

加鹽烤有比較好。可惜好像烤太久了，肉有點乾。吃起來...就像是比較大塊的蝦肉，是不錯啦，但如果便宜一點就更好了。

Trying another way. I made the stock from the head and the carapace.

換另外一種做法，先將蝦頭和殼用水煮出蝦高湯。

They I made a lobster pasta with the stock. A more luxury version, but without one key ingredient...

取出來的蝦肉，就和蝦湯一起做成鮮蝦義大利麵。可惜就是少了一味..

Another try. This time I cut them in half.

更多的龍蝦。這次對切

Adding some flour on the meat side, and frying them in the pan. This time was better.

在肉的切面撒上麵粉，在平底鍋用油煎熟。這次就不錯，看起來就很奢華。

More lobsters. 

更多的龍蝦。

A feast on lobsters. 

龍蝦大餐

A bigger one in dinner. 

某天的晚餐，一隻大龍蝦

Another lobster species, very rare... 

另外一種龍蝦種類，在珊瑚礁棲息，在魚市場非常罕見!

The gonad of this lobster, quite large in quantity. 

那隻龍蝦的生殖腺，還蠻大量的

The meat was taken, along with the gonad. 

蝦肉生殖腺取出冷凍保存。

I decided to make them a shrimp pasta. I fried chopped garlic with the olive oil, and then put the lobster roll in. 

後來決定做龍蝦義大利麵，將蝦肉和切碎的大蒜和橄欖油一起煎炒。

Done! I should have not added the gonad.... 

做好了! 味道嘛...我不該加生殖腺進去的...

In conclusion, the sand lobsters are an interesting species to try, if the budget is not too tight. It don't appear all year round in the fish retail shops, mostly during the trawling season and caught by a special technique. In some fishing market, at times they are very fresh that the sand lobsters are moving. I think they need better culinary skill to make them out-standing, especially considering their high prices. I will not recommend to have rock lobster here, because they are imported somewhere and usually with lower quality.

沙龍蝦，算是種有趣的物種，有錢有閒可以嘗試一次。在特定的季節，通常是下半年的拖網季節，才會在沙烏地東岸的魚市場偶爾出現。有時候，鮮度相當好，龍蝦甚至還會動。然而，個人廚藝技術太差，目前覺得龍蝦沒有特別好吃，特別考量到它尊貴的價格...我更不會推薦在沙烏地東岸吃岩龍蝦，畢竟都是進口，經過冷凍解凍幾次後，狀況只能說慘不忍睹。要吃那種龍蝦，不如在產地吃新鮮的，比較對得起荷包。