By Tan Weiyun (Shanghai Daily)
Updated: 2007-10-23 11:13

Gourmands are salivating as the season for eating legendary hairy crab is upon us. Tan Weiyun explains how to tell the "real" crabs from the fakes, how to cook them and how to eat the Shanghai delicacy.

It's that time of the year again. Time for hairy crab gourmands who have waited longingly for 10 long months to finally dig in, crack, suck, slurp and savor the delicate meat, the roe and the gao of the celebrated crustaceans.

For almost two centuries, it has been a sacred rite and late-autumn ritual for nearly every Shanghai family to eat da zha xie, or hairy crabs when the cold, crisp autumn winds pick up. They are traditionally washed down with huang jiu, or rich yellow wine, such as Shaoxing wine.

The best known and marketed are the Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs, the Rolls Royce and the Vidalia onion of the freshwater crab world. They mature between October and November and are harvested from the lake northeast of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province. Crabs from the eastern part of the lake are said to be the best.

Other lakes in the area also produce delicious hairy crabs because they have geological and ecological characteristics similar to Yangcheng Lake, but the crab growers of Yangcheng Lake win the gold medal for marketing. Genuine Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs cost more than other tasty hairy crabs.

There's a famous old saying in Shanghai, "When the northwest wind blows, then the crabs are perfect for eating."

These feisty freshwater crabs equipped with two large pincers are also known as "mitten crabs" for the hair on their claws and legs.

"Yangcheng Lake enjoys a unique habitat. Enough sunshine, rich water resources, plentiful minerals and trace elements. Everything is just right for crab growing," says Yang Weilong, director of the Jiangsu Province Hairy Crab Association. "The lake's favorable environment makes its crabs so different from others."

To find information about nice crab restaurants, click
Catching a taste of crab this season

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