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Last Updated: Feb 6, 2017 - 2:32:04 PM |
Fresh Creek, Central Andros, Bahamas - The 13th annual Crab Fest will take place in Fresh Creek from June 10th to 13th at Queen's Park, where visitors and
thousands from
throughout the family islands are welcomed to
one of the country’s premier heritage events.
Crab culinary artists will titillate patrons’ palates
with their versatility in preparing crab meat in new and exciting ways. Besides the popular crab and rice/native corn grits,
stewed/steamed crab, crab and dough, crab soup, and baked crab, there may also be crab souse, crab fritters, crab patties, and crab
tarts.
Learn 113 ways to catch, pen, cook and eat an Andros crab! "The art of crab catching is in the heart of Androsians".
The Ministry of Tourism has supported the Crab Fest
from its inception, October 12, 1998. The idea was developed by the
first local government district council of Central Andros.
The festival represents a huge infusion into the
economy of Central Andros especially for vendors, hoteliers, apartment
owners, taxi cab drivers, airlines, ferries, mailboats and the wider
community.
This year's Bahamian entertainment will be KB, Wilfred Solomon, Jay Mitchell, Geno D, Therese Hepburn, Elon Moxey and others.
Crabs come out in large numbers from June to August
to mate and are harvested. Harvesting the crab is called crabbing.
Although crabs are found throughout the Bahamas, the 104-mile long,
40-mile wide Andros, the largest of the Bahamian archipelago, seems to
provide the best environment for them to breed in swarms.
Crabbing has long been a fueler of Andros’ economic
engine and some of the nation’s best doctors, lawyers, teachers and
politicians can trace their roots to the industry.
The art of crabbing requires tremendous skill. Crabs’
agility - they can move in any direction at a moment’s notice - makes
them no easy target. With well-aimed jabs and snaps from fins and claws,
they resist at all costs.
Yet, armed only with flashlights and crocus bags,
Androsians like Mrs Vivido, her potcake dog Peace also on the trail,
braves mosquitos and sandflies, brambles and bushes, to ferret out these
wiley creatures. Her favourite crabbing ground is around Moxey Pond
just outside of Fresh Creek; her favourite dish is crab soup.
For two weeks before they are sent to market crabs
are fed a strict diet of berries, grass, and fruit.
Crabbing has become a very lucrative industry. The
season represents the opening of the ‘Bank of Andros’ as each live crab
brought to market has a potential value of at least $1 here.
By the time it reaches New Providence, the value
could triple as the demand grows. In 1975 one dozen crabs sold for $3 to
$10 dollars. In the Nassau market a dozen crabs could easily go for
close to $40 depending on the size and the season.
The crab habitat which will be a permanent feature of
the current site, was designed to represent the four major areas where
land crab are found – beaches, mangroves, coppices and pine forests.
Information SOURCE and see Photos from 2005
© Copyright 2010 by thebahamasweekly.com
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