Crab, blue, cooked (moist heat)

Cooked blue crab meat is a USDA SR Legacy record for "Crustaceans, crab, blue, cooked, moist heat": 17.9 g protein and 83 kcal per 100 g, i.e. 21.57 g protein per 100 kcal — (17.9 / 83) x 100, ranking it fifth among the ten most protein-dense foods per calorie in this list. The figures come from the USDA Standard Reference record for cooked blue crab (FoodData Central ID 174205): 83 kcal and 17.9 g protein per 100 g. A practical 3 oz (85 g) serving of crab meat supplies about 15.2 g protein for 70.6 kcal. Crab is a strong source of vitamin B12 (3.3 mcg per 100 g, well above the 2.4 mcg/day adult requirement) and selenium (42.9 mcg per 100 g), and is nearly fat-free (0.74 g total fat per 100 g), but at 395 mg sodium per 100 g it is meaningfully saltier than every other item in this top 10 — relevant for anyone on a sodium-restricted diet, and canned or pre-picked crab meat can run higher still. Crab also carries 97 mg cholesterol per 100 g. As with shrimp, crab is a crustacean shellfish, and FARE notes crustacean allergies (shrimp, crab, lobster) tend to be severe and are frequently adult-onset. The FDA/EPA fish advisory lists crab as a "Best Choice" (low mercury). Fresh blue crab is regionally seasonal in the US — most associated with the Chesapeake Bay and Gulf Coast — while pasteurized and frozen crab meat is sold nationwide in most supermarkets, typically at a higher price per pound than white fish, shrimp, or poultry.