Teochew cold crab
A whole crab steamed, then left to go cold, and eaten plain with a dip of ginger in rice vinegar.
What makes it teochew cold crab
- A very fresh whole crab, heavy with roe or meat.
- Steamed, then chilled — never served hot.
- Nothing on it; a dip of ginger and vinegar alongside.
Where it comes from
Cold seafood — dong — is a Teochew habit, and the crab is its showpiece. The crab most often named is the red-flower crab of the Chaoshan coast, steamed whole and cooled, so the flesh firms and turns sweet and the roe sets.
Chiuchow restaurants in Hong Kong made it famous, and there it's a luxury dish, served chilled and cut up, with nothing added but the dip.
How it varies
- Cold prawns
- Big prawns, boiled and cooled the same way.
- Cold fish
- A whole fish, often mackerel or pomfret, steamed in brine and eaten cold with Puning bean sauce.
Be the first here
Start your own teochew cold crabNo one here has made teochew cold crab yet. Start it as v1, and every version after is an experiment the next cook can learn from.
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