What if you could help save an entire ecosystem just by eating something delicious? It sounds almost too good to be true, but along the coast of New England, that's exactly what's happening. According to the New York Times, a new movement is turning a destructive invasive species, the European green crab, into dinner.
At the heart of this effort is St. Ours & Co., a Massachusetts company that's been known for its clam broth for decades. After learning about the havoc green crabs wreak on local ecosystems, the company decided to turn the problem into a product. With the help of a nearly $50,000 grant, they are developing a new "St. Ours Crab Broth Powder."
Sharon St. Ours, the company's vice president, saw it as a natural step. "It just seemed like a perfect fit for what we do," she said.
Here's the problem the company is tackling. Conservation biologist Joe Roman calls the European green crab a "perfect invader." These crabs are aggressive hunters that feast on native shellfish like clams and mussels, hurting local fishing communities. They also tear up the vital eelgrass beds that young fish use for protection and that help shield our coastlines from storms, as noted by NOAA.
Their design for destruction is almost perfect: Females can release up to 185,000 eggs a year, they survive in a huge range of water temperatures, and they can even live out of water for 10 days or more. With almost no natural predators here, their populations can get out of control.
The good news? The idea of fighting back with a fork and knife is catching on, with people getting creative in the kitchen. Some home cooks are turning the crabs into a savory stock for ramen or suggesting that deep-fried green crabs would make an "excellent bar food." The trend is growing, and chefs are joining in.
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One is even experimenting with salted green crab roe ice cream. A popular YouTuber, Empty Handed Fisherman, showed his followers how he catches and fries them up. And in a New York City restaurant, a Michelin-starred chef created a pasta dish using green crabs that cost just $4.
It's all about reframing the issue. As Joe Roman put it, "Rather than thinking of them as pests, maybe they could be an opportunity."
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