Death in Venice: a Tale of Soft Shelled Crabs, a Seasonal Delicacy

Small but wholesome

Soft shelled crabs-known as granseola or moleche-are a seasonal Venetian delicacy. The fact that the crabs, about the diameter of a medium size lemon, are only available in Venice for two short seasons in Autumn and Spring, gives them the cachet of truffle, wild salmon or any other desirable food product you cannot get your hands on. If you want them at other times of year, it means a trip to the eastern seaboard of the USA or the Far East, unless you are fortunate enough to have a local restaurant that flies them in. In Vietnam they prepare soft shell crabs with chilli, a wonderful variant, well worth seeking out in your local Vietnamese restaurant, and available seasonally in some in Kingsland Road, London.The environmentally sounder choice however remains a trip to Venice where you can combine your delectation of soft shelled crab with a cultural feast.

The ‘soft shell’ occurs because the young crustacea have to shed their shells to grow. Males and females moult in Spring, while only males moult in Autumn. There is a 5-6 hour window of opportunity from when the crabs shed their hard shell, before the new, soft shell hardens again with contact with water. Timing therefore is crucial to the whole enterprise.

The moleche fishermen of Venice are known as molecanti, and their skill is to maintain a supply of soft shell crabs by carefully managing the moulting process and sorting the crabs into those ready now and those that need to be held back until later. Crabs that are not going to moult are thrown back, while the others are stored in tanks until ready, before being whisked off alive to the main fish market in Rialto. The moulting season is for a few weeks from late September and early March.

The fish market in Rialto is well worth a visit and you can see the crabs and a wide selection of muscles, clams and other seafood. Virtually every fish restaurant in Venice will feature soft shell crabs on its menu during the season. It’s a tough life being a crab, and not one you would wish for in any future incarnation. Apart from being fished out, thrown in a tank and taken to market, you can guarantee you will end up beng cooked alive. The crabs are either fried as part of fritto misto di pesce or egged and floured. For the latter, they are soaked alive in a bowl of beaten egg yolks which they absorb, then floured and fried, emerging as a deliciuously tasty, crunchy, snack. However cooked, they are eaten whole.

There are currently five farms operating around Venice and some 60-70 tonnes are harvested annually, which represents an important industry. The crabs were under threat in the 80s, but stocks have now recovered and conditions in the lagoon are carefully monitored to preserve this important trade and delicacy. For more articles on Venice see veniceinfosite.com

Great with lemon and salad

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