The crabs moult twice a year (April-May & October-November), stripping their shells to face the new season.
The moeca is nothing more than a crab that is losing its shell (before regenerating it) and for a very short time (hours) it remains soft and tender.

Fishing for these crabs is very laborious and it is difficult to catch them and recognize them in time. The fisherman must recognize the crab that is about to reach the moeca stage (‘granso bono‘) and the ‘spiantani‘ which are even more mature than the grans boni and for this they must be separated because as soon as they lose the shell the other crabs devour them.
The cost of moeche for this reason is very high and usually is between 50 and 70 € per kg at the market.

They are savored very fresh fried, just floured or stuffed with egg in a very special way.

Discover the lagoon of Venice and fishing techniques with the Moecante (Fisherman) and taste this delicious food.

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