Crab meat must have been much cheaper than it is now back in the old days because I see quite a few recipes that use it, even in the Depression Era. Few of these recipes are anything resembling a crabcake, mostly they are some sort of deviled crab in a can doctored with more butter and a few spices. I come from Maryland so I certainly like crab but the thought of canned deviled crab gives me the heebee-jeebee's. This particular ad is for a company that I can't even locate anymore. The ad is from 1912 so it's not surprising. The company is located in Hampton Va. so it's almost certainly Smith Island crabs. There's been a bit of a "war" down there for over a century between Marylanders and Virginians over crabbing rights in the waters around Smith Island. These days I don't think it matters much anymore. The last time I purchased a can of claw meat it was sourced from the Philippines, sad... really sad.
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Totally unaware of the MD/VA crab wars.
ReplyDeleteI know that there is still a crab cannery of some sort still here in Baltimore but I don't know what the brand is or where it is sold. I've never seen it at the Safeway.
They (who ever they are) say that the crabs are returning in the Bay...