Sponsored story courtesy of the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission.
Along the Oregon Coast, Dungeness crab is something we build traditions around. The opening of crab season signals winter tables filling with steam and butter, docks humming with activity, and a supply chain that starts with some of the most tightly regulated, community-rooted fisheries in the country. Read on to find out how to honor the work behind the catch, and how to make the most of an exceptional product.
Purchasing your Dungeness crab
Oregon fishers take great pride in delivering fresh, sustainable, and delicious Oregon Dungeness crab to market. By purchasing Oregon Dungeness crab locally, consumers get a superior-tasting product.
Buying local doesn’t just shorten the distance from ocean to table—it preserves flavor, texture, and quality. It also keeps money circulating in coastal communities that depend on vibrant ports, working waterfronts, and family-run boats.
The crabbing profession is charged with great difficulty, with crabbers working in harsh winter conditions, navigating weather windows, and tides. When you choose Oregon Dungeness crab, you’re not just choosing a premium seafood—you’re participating in a long-time coastal tradition that honors the catch and the fishers, and which sustains us for generations to come. Visit the Oregon Dungeness Crab Commission website for a list of ways to buy local.
How to eat Dungeness crab
There are a variety of ways to enjoy fresh Oregon Dungeness crab. Sitting at a newspaper-covered table outdoors, with a pile of fresh crab alongside drawn butter, crusty bread, and lemon wedges is a fan favorite for purists.
But along the coast, our creative chefs showcase Oregon Dungeness crab in many delicious ways, including a fresh take on clam chowder with Oregon Dungeness Crab and Roasted Elote Corn Chowder, as well as crowd-pleasing appetizers like Warm Oregon Dungeness Crab and Boursin Dip or Crispy Phyllo-Wrapped Oregon Dungeness Crab with Feta and Dill.
That flexibility carries through to how crab is sold and prepared at home. Crab legs offer a firmer texture than body meat and are packed and sold in whole-leg-only portions. Labor-saving picked meat, sold as a mixture of whole and broken leg and claw meat, is available nearly year-round. Whether you’re planning a hands-on feast or a refined starter, Oregon Dungeness crab adapts without compromise. For other recipe inspiration, as well as cooking, cleaning, and serving tips, visit the ODCC website.
Buying Oregon Dungeness crab is a small but meaningful act of participation in a coastal economy. Whether you’re cracking shells at the kitchen table or ordering a chef-driven dish that puts the crab front and center, you’re tasting the result of generations of knowledge and one of Oregon’s most iconic food traditions—best enjoyed fresh, local, and in season.
Sustainably caught. Deeply rooted in Oregon. A prized seafood delicacy.
Looking for another way to support your local crabbers? Pre-order an Oregon Dungeness Crab license plate here.
in Food & Drink, How-to