Customers browse blue crabs at Lotte Mart's Grand Grocery Eunpyeong store on Saturday. [Lotte Mart]
Customers browse blue crabs at Lotte Mart's Grand Grocery Eunpyeong store on Saturday. [Lotte Mart]

Lotte Mart and Lotte Super announced Wednesday they will sell this year's first harvest of "Kkuljam" blue crabs, timed to coincide with the end of the seasonal fishing ban.

The blue crab fishing ban runs annually from June 21 to Aug. 20. Both retailers will offer freshly caught, in-season crabs from the West Sea on the day the ban lifts — Lotte Mart beginning Thursday and Lotte Super from Saturday. Customers who pay with a participating card will receive a 30 percent discount.

The "Kkuljam" crabs are handled through a distribution method developed specifically for blue crabs to preserve the freshness of the just-caught product. Immediately after being hauled in, the crabs are submerged in cold seawater kept below 5 degrees Celsius and covered with sawdust to replicate their natural habitat before being shipped directly to stores. The near-dormant state minimizes any deterioration in quality.

Lotte Mart and Lotte Super operate a dedicated fleet of 25 vessels at key West Sea fishing grounds to ensure a stable supply. The number of specialized sorting and packing facilities has expanded from eight to nine.

"We focused on maintaining the crabs' freshness from the fishing grounds all the way to the customer's table," said Oh Mun-gyu, a merchandise planner on the seafood team at Lotte Mart and Lotte Super. "We hope customers can enjoy the natural flavor of fresh, in-season blue crabs without hesitation."


spa@heraldcorp.com