A Boston chef is turning an environmental challenge into a flavorful community solution — and diners are lining up to take part. According to Axios Boston, James Beard-nominated chef Tracy Chang is encouraging locals to help restore New England's coastal ecosystems by eating one of the region's most destructive invasive species: the European green crab.
On a chilly afternoon outside South Station, Chang passed out steaming sambus filled with an unexpected ingredient — green crab broth — while sharing why the dish matters. The effort is part of a new partnership among Chang, The Nature Conservancy, and Greencrab.org to reduce the exploding population of green crabs along the Massachusetts coast.
These crabs have been present in the area for more than a century, but consistently warming waters caused by rising global temperatures have caused their numbers to spike dramatically in recent years, according to Steve Kirk, Massachusetts coastal program director for The Nature Conservancy.
The species poses a major threat to local marine life and coastal health, devouring native shellfish, including young oysters, and damaging eelgrass beds and salt marshes — ecosystems that protect shorelines, improve water quality, and sustain fisheries.
By encouraging people to cook with green crab, Chang hopes to support a solution that benefits both communities and the environment. While these crabs aren't known for their meat, they produce "rich stocks that are more flavorful than other crab-based broths," Axios noted, making them ideal for soups, curries, and ramen.
At her Cambridge restaurant, Pagu, Chang regularly incorporates green crab into dishes, inspired in part by techniques she learned while collaborating with chefs at the Refugee Food Festival.
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Commercial seafood dealers sold more than 150,000 green crabs last year, and advocates are hoping that number grows as more chefs spotlight the ingredient. As Chang put it, "We've got to do our part."
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