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Chilli crab

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Chilli crab
A plate of chilli crab
TypeSeafood
Place of originMalaysia,[1] Singapore[1]
Associated cuisineMalaysia,[1] Singapore[1]
Created byCher Yam Tian (Singapore's version)
Serving temperatureHot, with a side of mantou
Main ingredientsCrab, chilli, egg
VariationsBlack pepper crab
  •  Wikimedia Commons logo Media: Chilli crab

Chilli crab (Chinese: 辣椒螃蟹; pinyin: làjiāo pángxiè; Malay: ketam cabai, ketam cili) is a Southeast Asian seafood dish that is most popular in the cuisines of Malaysia and Singapore.[1] The widely known version of chilli crab today could be traced back to the 1950s in Malaysia and Singapore.[1] Mud crabs are commonly used and are stir-fried in a semi-thick, sweet, and savoury tomato-and-chilli-based sauce.

Origins

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The Portuguese introduced chilli pepper to Malacca in the 16th century. Before chilli peppers, peppercorn was used by the Malays to add heat and spice to their meals.[2] The earlier version of the dish known as ketam balado, is a drier version cooked in balado, a type of hot and spicy mixture originating from Minang cuisine, of West Sumatra, Indonesia.[1][a] Berlada is a spice mixture in Malaysian cuisine that is eaten with all kinds of vegetables and protein.[citation needed]

20th century

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The origins of the most commonly known version of chilli crab today could be traced back to the 1950s in Singapore and Malaysia.[1] Cher Yam Tian and her husband Lim Choo Ngee[3] began selling stir-fried crabs mixed with bottled chilli and tomato sauce from a pushcart since 1956. This was an improvised recipe; the original one did not involve bottled chilli sauce.[4] A successful business selling this dish prompted the establishment of a restaurant, Palm Beach Seafood, along Upper East Coast Road.[4] The version most widespread today was created by Hooi Kok Wai in the 1960s, one of four famous Singapore chefs during the era.[5]

Weng Fung Seafood Restaurant in the island of Langkawi, Kedah, Malaysia was first to offer a chilli crab dish in Malaysia since 1958. Weng Fung was established as a Hainanese coffee store in the 1920s. In the 1950s, the second generation converted the coffee store into a seafood restaurant and added a chilli crab dish to their menu, with the dish still being served today in the establishment.[1]

Description

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Chilli crab sauce is described as "sensuous" and "sweet, yet savoury", with a "fluffy texture".[6] Mud crabs (Scylla serrata) are the most common type of crabs used for the dish, although other species of crab can also be used.[6] It is usually served with a side of either fried or steamed mantou buns, which are used to scoop up the sauce.[7]

Cultural impact

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CNN Go listed chilli crab as one of the "world's 50 most delicious foods", at Number 35.[8] The Michelin Guide dedicates a page to chilli crab on their website.[5]

The Amazing Race 25, The Amazing Race Asia 4, and The Amazing Race China 4 featured a task that required contestants to crack a specified amount of chilli crabs.[9] Chilli crab was also featured on the Netflix TV series Street Food in season 1.[10]

Ketam berlada has been recognized as Malaysia's Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009.[11]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ↑ As cited from the article, '“ketam balado”, cooked Minangkabau-style by MasterChef Malaysia contestant Rosemah Ibrahim. (Balado is a spice mixture in Minang cuisine from West Sumatra that is eaten with all kinds of protein.) Ketam balado has been around for generations'.[1]

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Neo, Chai Chin; Lee, June (2023). "Singapore and Malaysia have claimed these 4 dishes. We get to the bottom of the food fights". CNA. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  2. ↑ Arokiasamy, Christina (2017). The Malaysian Kitchen. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 9780544810020.
  3. ↑ "Singapore's Best Chilli Crab Is in a 60-Year-Old Public Housing Complex". Vice.com. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2022.
  4. 1 2 Jenny Nguyen (10 April 2024). "What is Chinese Chilli Crab?". ReviewRanger Singapore. Archived from the original on 30 October 2025. Retrieved 30 October 2025.
  5. 1 2 "Where To Eat Chilli Crab In Singapore". MICHELIN Guide. Retrieved 13 April 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Chilli Crab". YourSingapore. Archived from the original on 14 May 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  7. ↑ "Chilli crab, mantou wow MasterChef Australia's George Calombaris in Singapore | Singapore Showbiz - Yahoo Entertainment Singapore". 29 October 2014. Archived from the original on 29 October 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  8. ↑ CNN Go World's 50 most delicious foods Archived 8 October 2011 at the Wayback Machine 21 July 2011. Retrieved 11 October 2011
  9. ↑ Field, Sonya (29 November 2014). "'The Amazing Race' season 25, episode 9 recap: Committing race suicide". Hypable. Retrieved 4 April 2021.
  10. ↑ Tan, John (25 April 2019). "Local putu piring stall featured in new Netflix show Street Food". SPH Digital News. The New Paper. Archived from the original on 29 July 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
  11. ↑ Suwaytha Gopal. "The Spicy Delight of Malaysia: Chilli Crab". Munch Malaysia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
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