Also Dàzháxiè, Chinese mitten crab, Shanghai hairy crab
Freshwater mitten crabs, steamed whole in autumn and picked apart at the table for their sweet meat and rich golden roe, with ginger and black vinegar.
What makes it hairy crab
Mitten crabs, steamed whole — tied so the legs stay on.
Eaten in autumn, for the roe and fat.
Ginger and black vinegar to dip, and warm Shaoxing wine alongside.
Where it comes from
The crabs grow in the lakes and rivers of the delta and are at their best in the ninth and tenth months of the old calendar — females first, for their roe, then males, for their creamy fat. Yangcheng Lake, near Suzhou, has the most prized name, and eating them is an autumn event in Shanghai.
They're served plainly, steamed and tied, with a dip of black vinegar and ginger and a cup of warm Shaoxing wine, which, it's said, balances the crab's 'cold' nature.
How it varies
Zuì xiè
Drunken crab: raw crab steeped in Shaoxing wine and soy.
Xièfěn
Crab meat and roe picked and cooked in lard, stirred into tofu, noodles or dumplings.