Puerto Rican land crabs...on this island they are the official Caribbean mobile living truffles.
We rented a house on the beach in Rincon this past week. To get to it you drove down this long driveway that was bordered by jungle and grassy marsh. And each day we noticed a bunch of cars pulling up to the edge of our house and these very rustic looking Puerto Rican locals would get out and head into the woods. They were secretive about what they were doing, quiet, and we're carrying machetes.
Finally, my wife just walked up to one and said- "What are you guys doing back there?" Honestly, I was torn between fear for her and amazement that she had the guts to just walk up them (you know, considering the machete thing and all...).
The man was actually a medical assistant at a hospital, totally well educated, spoke English perfectly and all of that even though he was covered in biting red ants, flies, and other bugs. He said he and his cousins had been working these fields for quite some time- patiently checking their traps each day for land crabs. They're fast, nasty, and they bite badly- as was displayed by his bleeding thumb.
A bushel of 20 or so was $40 wholesale. And so, the next day he came back with one. He was very excited for us to try them. You have to boil them a couple of times to get out the dirt and piss he said (yes...piss), but then he promised they would be amazing.
How were they? Think eel crossed with porcinis. It's a very earthy palate. Not sure I liked them, but I know I didn't not like them. The sofrito verde I served them with pretty much melded the funky earthiness out of them. Brought it back to more of a "crab" palate.
Regardless, in Puerto Rico- this is it! The creme de la creme- the best. The Caribbean truffles: Puerto Rican land crabs.
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