Crab meat grades: jumbo lump, lump, special and claw

What is special crab meat?

Special crab meat is a grade of picked crab meat made of flaked white meat from the crab's body. It is real crab, not a substitute. What sets it apart from lump grades is piece size. Special is sold as small flakes, while lump grades are prized for larger, intact pieces. Claw meat is different again: it is darker and comes from a different part of the crab.

Supplier guides group crab meat into several grades by where the meat comes from and how large the pieces are. The most common names are jumbo lump, lump (sometimes called backfin), special and claw. Some sellers add a super lump grade. Naming and grouping are not uniform from one seller to the next, so read the description on the specific product you are buying.

Crab meat grades compared

Grade | Meat and piece form | Color and flavor | Recipe role noted in supplier guides

Jumbo lump | The largest pieces of white body meat | White meat | Presentation, where whole pieces should stay visible

Super lump | Described by one supplier as broken pieces of jumbo lump; not every seller offers it | White meat | Not specified in the available evidence

Lump (sometimes sold as backfin) | Smaller white body pieces; one supplier describes it as a mix of whole and broken backfin meat | White meat | Seafood salads, dips and spreads

Special | Flaked white body meat | White meat | Not specified in the available evidence

Claw | Meat from the claws and legs, per one blue crab guide | Darker or brownish, with a stronger crab flavor; described as firmer | Not specified in the available evidence

Special vs. lump vs. claw

Special and lump both come from the crab's white body meat, so the main difference between them is form. Lump keeps pieces you can see and bite into. Special has been flaked into smaller bits. If the crab needs to look substantial in the finished dish, lump is the better match. Special works where the crab will be blended into the dish rather than shown off. That second point is an inference from the flaked form. The available supplier excerpts do not list specific uses for special.

Claw differs from both in color and taste. Supplier guides describe it as darker or brown meat with a stronger flavor than the white body grades. One source also calls it firmer. Choose claw when you want a more assertive crab taste. Choose special or lump when you want the milder look and character of white meat.

Lump vs. jumbo lump

Both are white body meat, and piece size separates them. Jumbo lump is the top presentation grade, made up of the largest pieces. Lump is made of smaller body pieces. One supplier describes it as combining whole and broken backfin meat and recommends it for seafood salads, dips and spreads. If you are folding crab into a mixture, lump gives you texture without the cost of the showpiece grade. If the pieces will be the focus of the plate, jumbo lump is the grade built for that. Where a seller offers super lump, one supplier describes it as broken pieces of jumbo lump, which places it between the two.

Lump vs. claw: taste and texture

Lump is white body meat in sizable pieces. Claw is darker meat that supplier guides consistently describe as stronger in flavor. One source also describes claw as firmer in texture. Some online explanations attribute these differences to muscle chemistry. Those claims come from brief excerpts and were not verified for this guide, so they are left out here.

Neither grade is better across the board. The choice depends on what the crab needs to do in the recipe:

• Visible pieces and a white-meat look: lump, or jumbo lump for presentation
• Crab blended into a mixture where pieces will not show: special
• A stronger, more pronounced crab flavor: claw

Is claw crab meat good for crab cakes?

The sources reviewed for this guide do not directly address which grade to use in crab cakes, so there is no supported single answer. The grade descriptions still let you frame the decision:

• Choose claw for a stronger crab flavor and darker meat.
• Choose lump if you want white-meat pieces that stay distinct in the cake.
• Choose special if the crab will be fully mixed with the binder and seasonings.

Recipes and regional traditions may call for a specific grade, so follow your recipe's specification when it gives one.

What kind of crab is lump crab meat?

Lump is a grade of picked meat, not a crab species. At least one of the supplier guides presents jumbo lump, backfin and claw grades in the context of blue crab. The available evidence does not establish which other species are sold under these grade names. Check the product label for the species.

Is lump crab meat real crab?

Yes. Supplier guides describe lump as pieces of the crab's white body meat. If you are unsure whether a particular product is crab meat or a crab-flavored product, the ingredient list on the package is the reliable check.

Regular crab meat vs. lump crab meat

"Regular" is not a grade name in the sources reviewed here, so there is no defined comparison to offer. If a product is sold as regular or plain crab meat, look at its description. Flaked white body meat matches what suppliers call special, and darker meat matches claw. Lump specifically means larger pieces of white body meat.

Why is claw crab meat cheaper?

The evidence available for this guide does not explain how crab meat grades are priced, and it includes no current price data. This guide therefore makes no claim about why claw sells at a different price than lump. Compare prices per package at the time you buy.