Shanghainese Hairy Crab

If you are around China, particularly around Shanghai from late October to early December, you are bound to come across delicacies made from these little critters known as hairy crabs. The crab gets its name from the high amount of filaments or hair on their appendages, which gives it a furry appearance.

The crab is an autumn delicacy prized for the female crab roe. It is believed that crab meat has a “cooling” effect on the human body, though with the climate cooling down going into winter, the crab is usually served with “hot” ingredients such as ginger, to balance out its Yin and Yang properties.

Ask a Shanghainese and they’ll tell you the best way to eat hairy crab is to simply have them steamed to preserve all the original flavours of the crab and best enjoted with a dipping sauce of black vinegar and julienne ginger. Most restaurants serve the crab with a pot of freshly brewed ginger tea or the traditional accompaniment of Shaoxing style Huangjiu (yellow wine).

So, the next time you find yourself wandering the streets of Shanghai in autumn, be sure to give hairy crabs a go. Make no mistake though, the finest picks of these costly crustacean are large females crabs which can set you back more than a prime steak.