Soft-shell crab is a culinary term for crabs that have recently molted their old exoskeleton and are still soft. Soft-shells are removed from the water as soon as they molt to prevent any hardening of their shell. This means that almost the entire animal can be eaten, rather than having to shell the animal to reach the meat. The exceptions are the mouthparts, the gills and the abdomen, which, though edible when shells are very soft, are usually discarded (''cleaned''). The remaining, edible part of the crab is typically deep fried or sauteed.

What's the best answer to this question: do you eat the shell on soft shell crab?
yes