You call me - "Curacha"

One day, you might come across with this horrible-looking and scary creature served in your dinner table. It is locally called, “Curacha”, a strange-looking crustacean endemic ONLY in the waters of Zamboanga Peninsula and Sulu that seems to be like a hybrid between a large sea crab and a spiny lobster. Sometimes it is also called “Cucuracha”, literally “cockroach” in Chavacano.
My first encounter with this sea creature was when a mayor in Basilan gave me these, alive and fresh, as pasalubong. I am very hesitant (at first) to touch the curacha, feared that it might sting and poison me to death. My baby even shouted in a gruesome tone, “Mama… ipis! ipis! Yucks!” But true to the saying, “beauty lies within”… the curacha is very meaty in the inside and when cooked in garlic and chili sauce, is very delicious and will make a finger-licking feast. It can also be steamed or cooked with coconut milk. It is best to cook it minimally to preserve its unique exotic taste.