A study on protein and glycogen content of crab meat consumed by tribal people in Baksa district, BTAD, India

Crabmeat is a popular crustacean food eaten in many homes of the tribal people of Assam besides being used in some restaurants and hotels all over the world. Millions of poor tribal people living in different parts of India use the non -Piscean fishes such as crabs, snails etc. as food because they are said to be more tender, more succulent and flavoursome and easily digestible. There is a vast scope for the crab meat due to its delicacy and nutritional richness. Crabmeat is known to be an excellent source of protein and is very low in fat and contains few calories. Crab serves as food boiled, roasted, fried, curried or eaten whole just after moulting. The crab tissues are not only tasty and nourishing but it is believed to have valuable medicinal properties (i.e. it cures Asthma, cold and chronic fever and other ailments). The percentage of protein was found to be higher i.e. 39.13 mg/gm of wet wt. while the reserved polysaccharides (glycogen) were found to be 5.82 mg/gm of wet wt. (approx.) after chemical analysis of edible crabs eaten by tribal people of Baksa District, Assam.