Com Crab is also known as crab with 2 skins. Com crab is actually mud crab that is about to be molted (peeled) to grow and prepare to be molting crab. Compared with other types of mud crabs such as Yem Vuong crab, Y 1 crab, Y 2 crab, Y 3 crab, Gach son crab, Com crab is the rarest and most delicious of all crabs.
 

Com crab has just been caught from cave. Photo: Huynh Lam.

The reason for rarity of Com crab is that during the molting period, Com crab enters the cave to reside, does not move and fill in the cave to hide from the enemies. Therefore, to catch Com crab, most people only use the method of digging cave, this work is very difficult and hard so the number of Com crab sold in the market is not much.

Com crab coming to peel is usually very dull, low-grip, no longer aggressive like other types of crab. According to folk experience, there are many ways to distinguish Com crab from other types of crab. If other crabs, when opening thoracic sterna will see white fur, for Com crab we will see light red fur. Particularly male Com crab, its fur is also white. Therefore, in this case, the way to distinguish is to notice the swimming legs and the carapace. If the swimming legs show a red line, or the carapace is cracked, it is Com crab.

Com crab is about to peel, the outer shell is usually very brittle, very fragile and can be used to gently remove the outer shell to take the crab body. When the outer shell is separated, a second layer will appear. This layer is newly formed so it is soft. Com crab is usually full of meat, shredded crab and no water. Shredded crab of Com crab, in fact, is the layer of nutrients that crab stores to feed the body during the molting days. Shredded crab is light yellow, eats very delicious, fat, fleshy, not hard.
 

Special dish of Com crab - crab with 2 skins in Ca Mau. Source: Cua Ca Mau online.

Com crab can make many delicious dishes such as grilled, boiled, steamed, fried, etc. When cooking, the outer shell of Com crab will peel off, showing a soft layer. After peeling hard outer shell, Com crab often has no bones, can eat full of crabmeat, bones and new shell. Therefore, Com crab is specialty only for the most gourmet, the most fastidious, so Com crab is usually nearly twice as expensive as other types of crab.

Com crab is sold at crab shops, farm product markets and big restaurants in the districts and Ca Mau city.

Come to Ca Mau, visitors do not miss the opportunity to special dish of Com crab - crab with two skins in Ca Mau.