The red king crab is a large species of crab with a body of about 11 inches across and a leg span of nearly 6 feet. Males grow larger than females, with the largest individuals weighing about 28 pounds. It has a hard shell or exoskeleton covered in short, hard spines for additional protection. Like other true crabs, prawn, and lobsters, the king crab is a decapod, with ten legs. Despite their name, which refers to their color once cooked, they appear a burgundy or brown color.
The taste of king crab legs is rich. The legs taste like lobsters and have that premium feel about them. When you crack the exoskeleton with your crab mallet and get to the meat, you will find that the texture is smooth and soft and doesn’t shred easily like other crab meat.
Crabs normally have a taste that you can describe as briny or salty. King crab legs taste nothing like that.
