Callinectes sapidus
The shredded meat, combined with coconut milk, dende oil, bread crumbs, and sprinkled with parmesan to make a crust in the oven makes a Casquinha de siri, perhaps the most traditional dish made with the meat of this marine crustacean found throughout the Brazilian coast. Sold clean, often precooked and frozen, crab meat can be used in salads, sauces, fish and shellfish stews, and fillings for several salgadinhos (Brazilian appetizer-like snacks), such as Pastel (Brazilian fried turnover) and Empadinha (savory mini pie). Fun fact: the word siri comes from Tupi language and means “to run, slide, walk backwards”.
