Crab purchasing decisions come down to matching species and grade to the dish. Here's how the major varieties compare for a wholesale buyer.
Blue crab
The classic Chesapeake and Mid-Atlantic species, sold live by the bushel or picked into jumbo lump, backfin and claw meat grades. Jumbo lump commands the highest price and is best reserved for crab cakes and salads where whole pieces show; claw meat works well in dips and soups.
Jonah crab
A Northeast species increasingly popular as an alternative to stone crab, sold live or as pre-cooked claws. The claw meat is sweet and dense, priced below stone crab while offering a similar eating experience.
Snow crab
Sold almost exclusively as cooked clusters or leg sections, snow crab offers long, easy-to-extract meat popular for seafood boils and shellfish towers. It's typically sourced frozen given its Alaskan and Canadian origin.
Dungeness crab
A West Coast species available live or cooked whole, prized for a mild, slightly sweet flavor and larger portion size than blue crab. Best suited to whole-crab presentations and crab boils.
Choosing pasteurized vs. fresh-picked meat
Pasteurized crab meat holds significantly longer under refrigeration — often 4–6 months unopened — at some cost to flavor compared with fresh-picked meat, which should be used within a few days. Match the choice to your volume and turnover rate.