Culinary God in Wilderness

What was that?

Lin Chen was suddenly startled, because the black shadow he had just glimpsed was quite large, almost the size of a basketball.

’A creature this big was so close, yet I hadn’t noticed it at all!’

He broke out in a cold sweat, gripping his military knife tightly. He circled halfway around the coconut tree, his eyes fixed on the spot where the dark shadow had moved.

As he changed his position, several thick crab legs came into view from behind the tree trunk.

A strange, bizarrely shaped crab the size of a washbasin was huddled silently at the base of the coconut tree. Three pairs of its legs were as thick as wrenches, and its two claws rivaled the size of those on a Boston Lobster.

There was a plate of shell on both the left and right sides of its body, making it look like it was wearing two Heart-Protecting Mirrors.

The most ridiculous part was its tail. It was completely unlike a normal crab’s, with a large, spherical tail sac that didn’t seem as hard as the carapace, but rather soft.

’This is...’

He froze for a moment, then his eyes filled with ecstasy.

"A coconut crab!!!!!!!!"

Without the slightest hesitation, he stomped on it.

The coconut crab, suddenly suppressed by force, immediately began to struggle. Its massive, meter-long body and thick legs pushed back at the same time, actually managing to lift his foot slightly.

"Oh-ho?"

Lin Chen had never encountered a crab this strong. He applied a little more force with the tip of his foot and instantly pinned it down again.

Looking at the giant creature under his foot, then at his bulging jacket nearby, and the heavy string of coconuts, he couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

’How did I accidentally get overstocked again? How am I supposed to haul all this back?’

Despite its large size, the coconut crab wasn’t actually that heavy, weighing only about seven or eight pounds.

After a moment’s thought, he used the rope made of Mulberry Tree bark to tie up the big guy, attached it to the stems of the coconuts, and slung it all over his shoulder. Only then did he cradle his bulging jacket and head back.

On the way back, he couldn’t keep the smile off his face.

"Friends, how many of you have heard of the coconut crab? Type a ’1’ in the chat so I can see."

The next second, a few scattered ’1’s drifted past amidst a flood of comments.

[What a huge crab! It’s almost the size of a king crab, but why does it look like an armored vehicle? It’s also a bit like a mutated monster.]

[Coconut crab? Sounds like a species that eats coconuts, but why is it so big? It’s amazing.]

[What’s that fleshy ball on its tail? Is that its stomach? Can it eat a whole coconut?]

[It’s so ugly. I’ve never seen such an ugly crab in my life. Is it even edible?]

[Hey, don’t be fooled by its weird looks. The coconut crab is recognized worldwide as one of the most delicious types of crab!]

"This viewer is right," Lin Chen said, giving a thumbs-up as he explained. "Coconut crabs do look rather strange, and that’s because they aren’t a normal type of crab. They’re a type of hermit crab."

"Because they live inside sea snail shells, hermit crabs actually have tails, just like sea snails. They use their tails to grip the shell in order to carry it around."

"But the coconut crab has evolved past the need for a shell for protection. Not only is its body massive, but it also has a hard exoskeleton. So, the function of its tail has changed, becoming a place to store food and nutrients."

"As you can tell from the name, they’re crabs that eat coconuts. Since coconut meat and water are very sweet, their meat is also exceptionally sweet. And that ugly tail sac I mentioned? That’s where they store their crab roe or tomalley, which is actually the most delicious sauce!"

"Those of you who like watching wilderness survival or spearfishing shows have probably seen this. After a fresh, large Lobster is cooked, people will usually dip the tail meat into the grayish-green tomalley in the Lobster’s head. It’s the same principle."

As he spoke, he couldn’t stop himself from swallowing.

He had only ever seen coconut crabs on jungle variety shows. They were a very rare species, supposedly hunted to near extinction in the 20th century because they were too delicious, causing their population to plummet and making them an endangered and protected animal in many places.

’But since Panama doesn’t restrict seafood harvesting, coconut crabs probably aren’t on the protected list, right?’

"Anyway, Robert didn’t say I couldn’t catch them beforehand, so it’s not my problem~"

He trotted happily back to the shelter, noticing along the way that the mangos he had left on the ground were indeed a few less in number.

After stuffing all his spoils inside, he couldn’t wait to cut open a coconut. He grabbed the stone axe and brought it down hard.

CHAK

The sharp stone axe left a shallow groove on the surface of the green coconut. He then inserted his sharp military knife into it, cutting back and forth while pressing down firmly.

The surface of the fresh green coconut had a high water content and was easily cut through.

The outer layer of the coconut had a wood-like texture, soft yet protective, acting as a cushion. Only by cutting through this layer could he reach the hard core that held the coconut water.

Lin Chen patiently rotated the coconut, slicing off the excess protective layer around the opening, making it easier to drink from later without spilling it everywhere.

At a certain moment, when the blade hit something hard, he finally put down the military knife and picked up the stone axe again.

CRACK

With just one strike, sweet, refreshing juice splashed everywhere. A few drops even landed on his face, and a faint, fresh fragrance clearly filled the air.

Tossing the stone axe aside, he lifted the coconut and began to drink, tilting his head back and gulping it down greedily. GULP, GULP.