The First Person to Eat a Crab: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs

“The First Person to Eat a Crab”: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs
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“The First Person to Eat a Crab”: Archeology and History of Eating Crabs
“The first person to eat a crab" is a popular Chinese slang to describe a brave, innovative person who is a pioneer, not afraid to lose. It is said to originate from the scary looks of crabs, and no one in their right mind would want to eat them. Crabs form a luxurious delicacy in the modern world. It is a preferred meal for its taste and nutritional value. However, crustaceans, including crabs, look like giant insects and are sometimes frustrating to eat, even in today's dining setting. But, despite this unpleasant appearance, crabs have been a delicacy for years in many parts of the world. Archaeological evidence shows that crabs were eaten much more in ancient civilizations than people think. In this paper, I will explore the history and archeological evidence of crab-eating in different regions and the reason why people continue to include crabs in their food options, not as a last resort to hunger. Crabs are crustaceans and exist in different species. Tsung et al. (2014: 1173) state that true crabs are “the most diverse groups of crustaceans with approximately 7,000 described species in 98 families.”
Archaeologists have discovered that early humans served and consumed crabs as a delicacy. There is evidence of shells and bone deposits left by early civilization. For instance, Nabia et al. (2023: 1) reveal that there is evidence of leftover shellfish, especially crabs, in a Neanderthal cave near Portugal. Also, many traditional Chinese poems and legends about eating delicious crabs are recorded. Further, remains of the blue crab were found in the Native American site Chesapeake Bay, and this evidence was used for tourist attraction in this region (Rick et al. 2014: 42). Different regions started consuming crabs and other seafood at different timing depending on the tools and the need to try new items. It is believed that individuals living near the coastal beaches adapted to the environment and were curious to exploit immediately available resources. This is how the crab, as a delicacy, was discovered.
Further, individuals used different tools that made catching and consuming seafood affordable (Dupont and Gruet 2022). Although the evidence is from very different cultures and timelines, it is worth noting that these people had more reasons to eat crabs other than simply being adventurous or too hungry. This paper will explore why eating crabs was essential to the lives of ancient civilizations. Specifically, the paper will concentrate on ancient China, Gruta da Figueira Brava, and the Chesapeake Bay evidence to demonstrate the use of crab as a delicacy in ancient civilization.
Ancient China
According to archaeological evidence, study shows the history of China and crab-eating stretches back to the Neolithic age. The crab-eating culture has been recorded as early as the Zhou Dynasty ( 771-256 BCE). Crabs were mentioned in the Book of Songs, a collection of ancient Chinese poetry. Furthermore, since the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it is said that literati appreciated chrysanthemums and the flavor of crabs for arousing their inspiration for poetry (Liu & Reid, 2020).
In ancient China, food was used as a luxurious tool to entertain guests, kings, and people in high positions, where chefs were mandated to discover new food items and include them in the feast after approval from their kings. During the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), crab dishes became increasingly popular and were enjoyed by the aristocracy (Lin 2021). The famous Tang dynasty poet Li Bai popularized the dish by writing a poem about eating crabs and describing their flavors as “gold from the fairyland." Leading into the next dynasty, the Song dynasty (960–1279 CE), crabs were a common meal for local people, and different recipes were invented and recorded in the Chinese cookbooks of the time (Lin, 2021).
The emperors gave value to crabs and often exchanged them for expensive gifts and ornaments. The Yangcheng Lake hairy crab, freshwater crab species found in the Yangtze River delta area, was highly valued and prized for its flavor. The Qing dynasty's imperial court (1644–1912 CE) was famous for how it valued the Yangcheng crab. A special kitchen was set aside to prepare the crab for the emperor, his family, and guests (Lin, 2021). The crab-eating culture is still popular in China, making China one of the world's largest consumers and producers of crab.
There is archeological evidence of shellfish remains in ancient China. According to Shelach-Lavi and Tu (2017), shellfish became part of the ancient Chinese diet as they expanded their dietary breadth through fishing. To this end, archeological data shows the consumption of shellfish in early China. For instance, faunal remains of shellfish, including crabs, were found in Hebei and Shasong provinces with radiocarbon dates 11,500-11000 and 8000-7600 years before the present, respectively (Shelach-Lavi and Tu 2017: 4). These remains were found alongside potsherds and bowls, hearths, and ash pits.
Gruta da Figueira Brava
According to Nowakowski (2023), early humans cooked and ate crabs for 90,000 years, based on archeological evidence from a Portuguese cave called Gruta da Figueira Brava. The archaeologist concluded that the Neantherdals consumed seafood due to the availability of shellfish remnants such as barnacles, sea urchins, and brown crab shells. The discovery was made through digging. The archaeologist concluded that Neantherdals targeted and roasted large crabs in a coal fire. Also, the consistency of the shells and available tools helped conclude that Neantherdals used the same tool to break brown crabs.
Additionally, the crabs caught were larger than average, meaning Neantherdals caught brown crabs because of their size. Also, crabs were a good source of protein, vitamins, and fats which was readily available and easier for Neanderthals to hunt compared to other big animals (Nowakowski, 2023). Also, these early humans lived in close proximity to the coastline to capture the crabs. According to the digging and excavations done by archa...