Happy Christmas Eve! Here in Northern California, a very popular meal on Christmas Eve is Dungeness crab. ‘Tis is the season for this delicious crustacean and people in the Bay Area wait impatiently all year round for the first catch of the winter.
Native to the pacific northwest, Dungeness is a quintessential holiday meal in many households in this area. I remember when I was in elementary school being shocked to learn that other families had crab for Christmas Eve, just like mine did. It was one of the first moments I became aware of how food, place, community and culture can become intertwined.
There are many ways to serve Dungeness. It’s especially good in salads, but personally I love it best freshly cracked with my family’s homemade sauce. I love that it comes around this time of year because the holidays tend to be more about heavy winter dishes, which is great, but it’s nice to have something so fresh from the ocean around this time.
Happy Holidays!
Do you have a traditional Christmas Eve meal where you live?
Eat Well, Travel Well ~ Samantha
Photo Credits
Dungeness Crab: Tony Fischer via Flickr