Things I didn't try early on: Eating crab

I've mentioned a few times here that I'm a bit more of a picky eater than most, with my favorite Japanese foods leaning towards simpler things like vegetable tempura, curry rice, and hamburger steak. That's in part the reason why it took me so long to try crab, but I did it in a pretty cool place several years into my life in Japan journey.

My first crab eating experience was in Monbetsu in Hokkaido, an area which is really well regarded for the quality of their crab. It was part of a cooking class experience, where we had to shell the crab ourselves. I had a tub at my seat which contained a crab, a cloth, and a pair of plier-like tools, which did feel a little overwhelming, but the instructions were good and helpful.

A crab cooking class I attended in Monbetsu, Hokkaido

We got to make a crab soup and also cooked some of the crab meat over a flame. I would say overall I was glad to have the experience in somewhere that is known for their high-quality crab, but it's not something I necessarily feel I need to eat again!