Fish stock in the Middle East has depleted. Fish stock in the Middle East has depleted.

8. Crabs: Forever Popular

Crabs are perfect for restaurants in the region because they are versatile, healthy and widely enjoyed in other countries around the world. As the Middle East’s expat community grows and the population becomes more multi-cultural, crabs are the seafood that all nationalities have in common.

“Crab is a very popular shellfish,” says Parsk. “It has so many uses and can be used in a lot of cooking methods and in a variety of ways. I think it appears on a lot of menus because it is quite simple for chefs.”

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Prudhomme says: “Recently, there has been an increase in the demand for crabs because they appeal to different nationalities. Chefs can prepare crabs authentically to different cuisines — they can therefore be enjoyed by all the different nationalities that make up our multi-cultural region.”