Maryland blue crabs that is, steamed in beer with spicy old bay seasoning... the hot and delectable hard crab is one of the best taste sensations you can possibly imagine (next to chocolate, of course).

Do you know how to bang (a.k.a. eat) crabs? Well if you don't, get yourself a sharp little knife and a crab mallet. A crab mallet sort of looks like a meat tenderizing device, but it's made of wood, and has a rounded head on the end.

 Now let's set the scene. You should be sitting at a table that doesn't have glass on top (don't want to crack the table with your mallet). Your table needs to be covered with newspapers. That's right, spread out your newspaper on the table a few pieces thick all around. When you open up that crab, there is going to be some innards that you will want to push aside to get to the good part.

If you or your host did not steam the crabs themselves, somebody is going to come in with a large brown paper bag, and drop its contents onto the table. Now the fun begins.

Now take that crab mallet and knife in your hand, and in the most forceful, yet gentle way that you can, open up the inside of the shell to find the hidden treasure of crabmeat contained inside. As you continue your foray into eating hard crabs, you will find there are many different styles and methods of extracting the precious meat from its shell. Now don't limit yourself, be open to many techniques. You'll eventually find what works for you best.

Here are some tips. You really only want to eat the male crab, and I'm not getting into how you tell the difference. The most succulent crabmeat is on the bottom towards the back of the crab. That's called the "backfin" meat, and it is incredible. Don't just stop with the backfin, it's all good. You can also bang away at those crab claws and find some nice juicy morsels hiding in there. Also, don't touch your eyes while you are eating those spicy crabs. If you get a little bit of old bay in those eyeballs, you are going to jump around.

Whether a novice or an experienced pro at this age old tradition, you will always love, enjoy and appreciate the blue crab. The added bonus is that you will have a heck of a good time eating ‘em with family and friends.....down the beach!

Hmmmmm.....how about an Eastern Shore crab cake? The best crab cake in Ocean City can be found at.......Another topic...another time