I like to describe Chris' Marketplace as "Enhancing fish and seafood with the earths riches." Obviously one doesn't want to enhance the flavor of something that in its original state does not taste good. One would want to 'cover-up' that flavor. This is the reason we start with the best product we can find. Chris' Marketplace uses only high quality Blue Crab meat. When sourcing Blue Crab meat from processors Chris goes directly to the source to see exactly how the facility is being kept, the processing taking place, and to make sure that the product is kept according to Chris’s specifications (which are far greater than industry standards). Chris' Marketplace makes two grades of Blue Crab cakes, though only the "Jumbo Lump" crab cakes are avaliable direct from Chris' Marketplace. The "Jumbo Lump" crab cake is the preferred cake to most people as it has a superior texture and higher concentration of crab flavor due to the size of the pieces of crabmeat. "Jumbo Lump" comes solely from the two large pieces of crab meat from the two hindquarters of the crab where the back-fin attaches to the body of the Blue Crab. Chris' "Back-fin" crab cakes are made from a combination of body meat and meat from the two hindquarters of the crab (the two back legs of a Blue Crab) and are only avaliable in Whole Foods and other locations (see ordering information). Chris' Marketplace uses only steamed crabmeat in their cakes. Most Gulf of Mexico processors have switched from steaming to boiling crabs because it is cheaper and easier. Unfortunatly, boiling crabs leaves the meat with a higher water content, which decreases flavor and reduces the shelf-life. Chris' Marketplace Jumbo Lump crab cakes are also available gluten free.