Ahhhhhh, summer.  The kids are out of school, the days are long and warm, and it’s time to enjoy one of my favorite seasonal seafood treats – the Maryland blue crab.

Although the “official” season started back in April (and the heaviest crabs won’t be around until late summer/early fall), nothing says summer like sitting down to a long table covered in brown paper, grabbing a mallet and sharp knife, and digging in to a pile of hot, fresh-steamed crabs, doused in a healthy coating of Maryland’s official condiment – “Old Bay” seasoning.

With a cold pitcher of beer at the ready (Yuengling is my preferred brand, although if one wants to go completely “Maryland”, then National Bohemian [“Natty Boh” for short] would be the ale of choice) , I’ll painstakingly dissect each crustacean in order to get at that juicy and sweet crab meat, dipping the larger morsels into a coating of malt vinegar or butter to enhance its already heavenly flavor.  With friends and family at the table, the afternoon will slowly pass by as we laugh, talk, and enjoy each other’s company over messy hands and growing piles of empty crab shells – and if the meal includes some crispy, hand-cut fries and a slice of juicy watermelon?  All the better.

Whether it’s at the ocean, in a backyard, or at the mountains, “pounding crabs” is truly a communal event, and although each person at the table develops their own crab picking style, the goal is the same – get as much of that delicious crab meat out of the shell and into our bellies as we possibly can, quickly reaching for another fresh crab as we finish cleaning out the last one.

There are many things that I love about the state of Maryland.  I love the unique state flag.  I love looking at a field of “Black-Eyed Susans” (the state flower) as they bloom in the hot, summer sun.  I do love “Old Bay” (on anything and everything).  I love my Baltimore Orioles (although they are just God-awful this season), and I love sitting at a table with friends or family and eating steamed blue crabs.

May your summer season be filled with the things you love, no matter where you hail from.