Search locations or food
OR
Sign up

6 Worst Rated Crab Dishes in the World

Last update: Sat Feb 15 2025
6 Worst Rated Crab Dishes in the World
VIEW MORE
01

Salad

SAN FRANCISCO, United States of America
3.0
Crab Louie
Crab Louie infographic
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Crab Louie is an American salad dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. The salad is prepared with a combination of Dungeness crab meat, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, asparagus, hard-boiled eggs, and Louie dressing (based on chili sauce and mayo), while olives, green onions, and bell peppers are optional, but can be added if desired.


The origins of the dish are quite murky, but many sources claim that the dish was served as early as 1914 in a San Francisco restaurant called Solari's. This tasty salad is mostly served as an appetizer.

MOST ICONIC Crab Louie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
02

Crab Dish

VENICE, Italy
3.2
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Moeche or moleche is a traditional dish hailing from Venice. This seasonal dish consists of soft shelled crabs – both males and females shed their old shells in the spring, but only the males moult in the fall. There's only a few hours from when the crabs shed their hard shells and before the new shell hardens when it contacts the water.


Enter the molecanti, local moeche fishermen who are experts at harvesting these crabs and can identify which crabs are about to molt and which not. The crabs are washed, dipped in eggs and flour, then fried until golden brown. They are traditionally served with a lemon wedge and polenta on the side. 

MOST ICONIC Moeche

2
3
4
03
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Easily identifiable by the patches of scruffy dark hair on its claws, the succulent, moist, and meaty Shanghai hairy crab is a delicacy that is large as an adult person's palm. Its flesh is firm, yet tender and delicate, so it is always steamed whole, without any seasonings, while the meat is much sweeter than regular crabmeat.


When consumed, it is typically dipped into a combination of rice vinegar and soy sauce, then topped with sliced ginger. These crabs are traditionally eaten hot, and two to four crabs per person usually makes a satisfying meal. Hairy crabs are in season from September until mid-November, a time of the year when the city's neighbourhoods are interspersed with markets and high-end restaurants offering this delicacy. 

MOST ICONIC Shanghai maoxie

View more
1
2
3
4
5
04
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Tenshindon is a simple Japanese dish which combines crab meat omelet and rice. It belongs to the broad category of donburi dishes, which includes many Japanese ingredients and meals that are served over rice. The central part of every tenshindon is the omelet which employs crab meat, the authentic Japanese negi onions, and (occasionally) mushrooms, peas, and sliced ginger.


The dish is assembled and usually served in a bowl, in which the rice is placed first, and the omelet is positioned on top. The final addition is a thick sauce that is generously poured over the dish. It is made with different combinations of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, rice wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, chicken broth, starch, and occasionally ketchup. 
05
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

This famous Sri Lankan curry is made with a combination of crab meat, lime juice, milk or coconut milk, curry leaves, grated coconut, ginger, shallots, garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, and red chili peppers. The curry is cooked until the crabs are fully cooked and the gravy develops a thick consistency.


It is recommended to serve this dish hot with rice and Indian flatbreads on the side.

MOST ICONIC Sri Lankan Crab Curry

1
2
06

Dumplings

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
3.9
Ate it? Rate it
Wanna try?
Add to list

Crab rangoon is an American-Chinese dish consisting of a deep-fried dumpling that is stuffed with crab meat, garlic, scallions, and cream cheese. It is believed that the first crab rangoon was invented at Trader Vic's bar in either Oakland or San Francisco, although some claim that it was invented in Missouri for the World's Fair in 1904.


Regardless of the origins, today this appetizer can be found in numerous Chinese-style restaurants throughout America, where it is often served with dips such as mustard, soy sauce, or plum sauce on the side.

MOST ICONIC Crab Rangoon

View more
1
2
3
4
5

TasteAtlas food rankings are based on the ratings of the TasteAtlas audience, with a series of mechanisms that recognize real users and that ignore bot, nationalist or local patriotic ratings, and give additional value to the ratings of users that the system recognizes as knowledgeable. TasteAtlas Rankings should not be seen as the final global conclusion about food. Their purpose is to promote excellent local foods, instill pride in traditional dishes, and arouse curiosity about dishes you haven’t tried.