Kep Crab Market

*cowritten by Joe, my Travel Partner for this portion of the Trip

If you are foodie and seafood lover like us then the Kep Crab Market is definitely a stop you want to add on your list while traveling through Cambodia. Seeing your crab being pulled straight out of the water is a unique experience.  We are positive this is the have freshest seafood  we have ever tasted!  Kep is located about 30 minutes away from Kampot and totally worth the stop in our opinion.

Be prepared that Kep Crab Market is a live seafood market so the entire area will smell strongly of seafood and the pier will be wet the seafood being dragged in from the water.  Kep Crab Market is about the size of one city block altogether.  From the pictures online, I had thought the area would be much larger.  The only downside to the market is the heat.  Since they are cooking the crab and other seafood right by the tables, it is difficult to find a cool seat.  You can’t escape the Cambodian heat but embrace it as part of the adventure!

Unless you are a crab expert, you will want to do a bit of homework before your excursion.  Start by searching “how to eat blue crab” on youtube the night before or sometime before your trip.  When searching how to eat you will come across various techniques. Quite a few of the best involve the use of a knife and small hammer. They show you where and how to make cuts on the shell to be able to pull out the the meat almost as a whole. However, unless you have done your research ahead of time you will most likely not have brought a knife and hammer with you, and they provide neither at the market. It is best to become familiar with how to use the tools provided to you, your hands and their claws. Simple snaps in the right place will yield almost the same results as a knife, but bring one with you if possible.

In the market you will find both large and small crabs. The large ones are easier to eat, but the small ones have more meat than you would expect and are worth the effort. An important note is that the small crabs have very sharp spike that are difficult to avoid and will poke and slice your fingers if you are not careful. The large crabs can be handled easily and after cooking the shells are brittle and will break easily with a bit a coaxing.  Pull the top half of the crab off by opening it like a lid from the back to gain easy access to your meal.

Like most life on earth, crabs come in both male and female sexes. The males tend to have more meat, but the female are said to have more flavor. You will want to be engaged with the vendor and check your selection before purchase. Pick up each crab and turn it over to inspect it from the bottom. Underneath you will find either an obelisk shaped apron or one more similar to a triangle: the obelisk is the male; the triangle the female. Once you have identified your preferred sex, squeeze you thumb slightly into the apron: a firm belly is full of meat, a soft belly has less.

Like most markets prices fluctuate, but in general $10/kg is a fair price for the large crabs, and $5/kg for the small. Be careful though, these are savvy negotiators and some misunderstanding could lead you to overpay. Keep communication clear by only ordering 1 kg at a time. It takes about 15 minutes to eat a kilogram of crab so this will also ensure each round is piping hot. You can of course negotiate to find the best deal, but compared to the prices at home this is already a bargain.  

The price for cooking the crabs range from $0.50 to $2.00; $1 is a fair price. You can have them steamed at the lower end of the price spectrum or fried with various sauces at the high end. One of the reasons, we suggest trying 1 kg at a time if so you can try some boiled, some fried, some cooked in the Kampot pepper sauce.  Joe’s personal favorite was the boiled crab while mine was boiled with the Kampot pepper sauce.  

Once cooked you will need to find a table to eat. These are provided by the drink vendors under the tents adjacent to the shoreline where the crabs are sold. To enjoy the comfort of a seat and table does come with a cost: you must buy at least one drink/item from the vendor. Trying to stay at a table without buying something will earn you some harsh words from the owner of the chair.  

Last but not least you can add a bit of flavor and variety to your experience by buying some spices and rice from the vendors around your table. The spices come in plastic bottles, the red ones are a bit spicy but make an excellent dipping sauce for your steamed crab or rice; other flavors are available to suit your taste. They are typically about $1 so try a few. The rice was about 25 cents per container.  There is also fish, squid, and shrimp on a stick if you find the crab isn’t enough to satisfy your palate.

If you are looking for a more intimate traditional restaurant setting check out Holy Crab towards the far end of the market along the road. You will pay twice the price as the market, but less than half of what you would in a big city. Try to go right before sunset, pick your favorite bottle of wine, and enjoy watching the the light fade away as you enjoy the atmosphere.

If you don’t stay in Kep, there are several options for getting there.  One is to take a tuk-tuk or a cab from Kampot which will cost about $20 one way.  A more interesting option is the crab shuttle that floats down the river from Kampot to Kep.  The boat leaves Kampot at 9am and leaves Kep at 3pm so you can enjoy views of the sunset on your ride back.  The cost is $10 for one way per person or $13.50/person round trip.  You will need to make reservations ahead of time.

We enjoyed staying the night in Kep in order to feast on Crab for more meals but it is worth a day trip if you are short on time or simply don’t want to change hotels.  

Have you visited Kep? Do you have any other suggestions??