Cooked Hairy Crab
大闸蟹 (dà zhá xiè), Eriocheir sinensis, Chinese Hairy Crab, also known as 上海毛蟹 (shàng hǎi máo xiè ) or Chinese Mitten Crab, in reference to their hairy legs, are highly valued in China, especially in the east of the country around Shanghai. But I get them here, too.
These small crabs are native to China and Korea but have been introduced in both North America and Europe where they are considered to be an invasive species. Possession or trading in them is banned in the European Union and in most US States.
They inhabit rivers, lakes and rice paddies but, in autumn, move to saltwater to spawn. Most prized are those from Yancheng Lake in Jiangsu Province, with rich Chinese prepared to pay hundreds of dollars for each one. This lead in the past to massive fraud, until the Jiangsu authorities started laser etching individual security numbers on their shells to ensure traceability. This reduced the number of fakes significantly, but not entirely.
Laser etched Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab
Doubly desirable are the females, especially just before spawning as their roe is particularly tasty! So, the two genders are usually sold separately in supermarkets, with the females attracting a premium price. The males make good eating, too though.
Female (母 - mǔ) Hairy Crab in Liuzhou Supermarket
These crabs are always steamed and their sweet meat picked using chopsticks or crab torture instruments such as these.
Steamed Hairy Crab
