A father and son take to the Hawaii lava shoreline with long sticks, a basket, and other tools to catch black rock crabs, locally known as a’ama. For a family day on the beach, hunting crabs is fun and educational at the same time, while providing a sort of “beach candy” as a reward. Rock crabs thickly cover the lava rock coast in Hawaii and are adept at jumping and hiding.
The crabs are usually only a couple inches in diameter, which means these two will need to catch several to make a meal. Most often the crabs are seen as more of a treat or pupu (appetizer) than a full meal. Although some people cook the crabs before eating them, they are typically eaten raw by opening the shell back and scooping out the inside.
The a’ama crab is a rock crab, not a “sand” crab. The leg meat of the crab is eaten raw by squeezing it as one would a tube of toothpaste, and sucking the meat out.
Correct, mahalo for the catch Charles and for more detail on how you prefer to eat them!
How do you rig up the pole that is used to catch a’ama crab.
I think one of these things bite or pinched me. Hurt for a couple hours after and then nothing. A week later looks like a black dot and now hard to the touch, itchy and red around. Is this normal?