A lesson from the crab

Enjoying Baltimore steamed crabs at New All Saints’ Aug. 18 crab feast brought to mind an old Nigerian proverb for Spiritan Father Uju Patrick Okeahialam.

As the pastor tells it, there once was a crab that swam many mighty rivers and an ocean only to meet its end in the humble waters of an old woman’s cooking pot.

“It means that you must be so careful about the little things because the little things can be one’s undoing if one isn’t careful,” Father Okeahialam said.

The African pastor said he has long been familiar with crabs. In Nigeria, crab is considered a delicacy. Cooking with the juices of the crustacean is delicious, he said, because it’s so flavorful.

With a laugh, the pastor said that since has lived in what he called “the City of Crab” for the last three years, he has to be an ambassador for Baltimore’s culinary treasure.

“Whenever I have visitors, I take them to crab places,” he said. “You cannot come visit without having a taste of the crab.”

His advice for crab picking? 

“You have to have some patience to relish the delicacy,” he said. “It’s very labor intensive.”

Also read: A crab feast like no other for parishioners of New All Saints

Email George P. Matysek Jr. at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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