Chilli Crab is a Southeast Asianseafood dish originating from Singapore. Mud crabs are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet and savoury tomato-and-chilli-based sauce. Despite its name, chilli crab is not a very spicy dish. It is listed at number 35 on the World's 50 most delicious foods list compiled by CNN Go in 2011.
Origins
In 1956, Cher Yam Tian and her husband Lim Choo Ngee began selling stir-fried crabs mixed with bottled chilli and tomato sauce from a pushcart. This was an improvised recipe; the original one did not involve bottled chilli sauce. A successful business selling this dish prompted the establishment of a restaurant, Palm Beach Seafood, along Upper East Coast Road. In September 2009, Ng Yen Yen, Malaysia's Tourism Minister, controversially claimed that, among other dishes, "chilli crab is Malaysian", accusing "other countries" of "hijacking our food".
Description
Chilli crab has been promoted by the Singapore Tourism Board as one of Singapore's national dishes, and can be found in seafood restaurants all over the island. It is traditionally eaten with bare hands as a means to savour the juicy crab meat with its sweet and spicy chilli sauce. Restaurants often provide wet towels or a washing bowl with lime in order for diners to clean their hands after their meal. Chilli crab sauce is described as "sensuous" and "sweet, yet savoury", with a "fluffy texture". Mud crabs are the most common type of crabs used for the dish, although other species of crab can be used too. It is commonly served with a side of either fried or steamed Mantou buns, which are used as a vehicle to scoop up the sauce.
Cultural impact
CNN Go listed chilli crab as one of the "world's 50 most delicious foods", at Number 35. It was one of the Singaporean dishes featured during Singapore Day 2011 in Shanghai, China, where many Singaporeans overseas go to try the signature dish presented by Dragon Phoenix Restaurant. The Amazing Race 25, The Amazing Race Asia 4, and The Amazing Race China 4 feature a task that requires to crack a specified amount of chilli crabs. A Singapore-based episode of Secret Eats with Adam Richman aired on the Travel Channel in September 2016, showed the host, Adam Richman, sampling a chilli crab at the New Ubin Seafood restaurant in Sin Ming's Industrial Estate. Chilli crab was also featured on the Netflix TV series, Street Food in season 1.
