Peter Schorsch
House Democratic Leader Janet Cruz announced she would spend her Saturday hosting a “Deviled Crab Throwdown” at Higgins Hall in her Tampa district.
“Nothing gets people in Tampa fired up quite like debating who makes the best deviled crab, so I decided to hold a contest to settle the argument once and for all,” Cruz said Friday. “I hope everyone in the community can make it out to this fun (and delicious!) celebration of our unique cultural delicacy. Maybe next session I’ll even file a bill to make the deviled crab our state crustacean!”
Traditionally, deviled crab is made with crab meat cooked slow with plenty of spices, covered with crumbled day-old Cuban bread, cooked up into a croquette and served with spicy sofrito – the source of the kick that gives it the “deviled” moniker.
The throwdowns began when Cuban, Spanish and Italian cigar workers in Ybor City went on strike in the 1920s and has since stuck around as a staple of Tampa culture.
Cruz has held her throwdown for three years and plans it based on Hispanic Heritage Month, which this year ran from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15. Her event kicks off at 10:30 a.m. at the hall, 5225. N Himes Ave., Tampa. At 11:30 a.m. contestants will have their deviled crab judged.
When it comes to that bill, Cruz won’t step over another crustacean to put one of Florida’s many breeds of crab – deviled or no – on the list. Florida is among the 44 states without an official crustacean, though fellow gulf states Alabama, Louisiana and Texas have already picked their crunchy critter of choice.
