This year, king crab is at the HIGHEST PRICE in the history of crab! You may find that you can’t even find it in your local grocery stores right now. Let me try to explain why.

I will try to give you the quick version but of course, there are many, many factors that set the price....Long and short is King Crab is a commodity (supply & demand) and a very sought after item especially since the Deadliest Catch show. Our crab fishery is regulated each year to be sure we are not taking more crab than can reproduced. Crab has to be a certain size before it can be kept and only the males are taken. It takes approximately 6-8 years for crab to be mature enough to keep. So depending on the season, the fisheries gurus say how many pounds can be captured each year. Crab season is from October – December and is closed once the quota is caught. (Usually a few weeks)

Japan is the largest consumer of King crab and 75-80% of Alaska’s crab is exported. Therefore Japan largely sets the price on crab and the value of the Yen to the dollar sets the price we pay. All crab is purchased and allocated during the months of fishing. That’s usually when I purchase my crab to get the best price available at the time. Crab tends to go up in price later in the season but again, many factors determine that.

Russia is another factor in crab prices. Russia also fishes king crab in the same sea. Russia exports tons of crab to the USA (which keep our costs steady) and abroad. In the past few years, Russia has been recently accused of illegally taking millions of pounds of crab. The Russian government, in an effort to try to crack down on illegal activity, have dropped their quota by 40% and has temporarily stopped exporting as much crab. That pretty much affects us all. The crab population is in danger of being wiped out if regulations aren’t strictly adhered to. Which prompts the second biggest question: “What is the difference between Russian & Alaskan crab?” Basically nothing. It’s the processing that sometimes affects the way the crab tastes & how long it’s been sitting around or if crab is taken when it’s too small or too soft. (Crabs molt which is a whole other discussion). I try to stick to Alaskan crab to support our well-managed fishery. Sometimes we don’t have a choice, but for the most part all crab I serve is Alaskan.

Crab also comes in different sizes. The larger the crab, the more expensive the price. I serve a larger crab than is normally served in most restaurants. Of course this also depends on what sizes are out there to catch.

Crab is usually served at a market price as the price fluctuates considerably depending on some of the factors above. I try to keep the prices the same as much as possible. I am able to sell my crab at a lower price due to the lower overhead and purchasing abilities. I am proud of my product and I strive to make your experience the best it can be! I hope you enjoy it!