Crustacean sensation is love at first bite for locals

saleswoman displays a fresh hairy crab from the Yangchenghu Lake, Jiangsu province, in a supermarket in Beijing yesterday.

Crab season officially kicked off in Beijing yesterday, as fresh, plump Yangchenghu Lake crabs went on sale at markets and stores across the capital.

Hairy crabs, together with moon cakes, are the flavors of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Other freshwater varieties of crab are already on sale, but crabs from Yangchenghu Lake in Jiangsu province, which have fatter eggs and tastier meat, are the most sought delicacy for Beijing's tables.

They cost between 100 - 200 yuan ($15-29) each, while a regular freshwater crab will set you back about 30 yuan.

For 62-year-old Lu Yongqing, crabs are an indispensable part of Chinese cuisine in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival, and a delicacy that brings together families and friends.

"For almost two centuries, it has been an autumn ritual for Chinese people to get together, enjoy the moonlight, moon cakes and eating crabs. Now instead of moon cakes we would even use crabs as gifts to friends, which sounds more interesting," said the Jiangsu native.

Crabs are popular between September and October, when they reach maturity, and some Beijingers buy as many as 10 for one person per meal. Most markets were stocking the crab yesterday, but transport issues have delayed sales by one day in supermarkets.

Hairy crabs have hair-like growths on their legs and shell. Only about 30 percent of the crab is edible. In order to access the meat you need to break off the legs, and remove the apron, top shell and lungs.

However, crab lovers never complain about the difficulty. The process, they claim, is full of fun.

"No pain no gain. I like the time spent eating crabs, when I can chat freely with family and friends, and have a sip of Erguotou (Beijing alcohol)," said Zhang Zongmei, a local resident, who found crab-eating "simply addictive".

There have been recent cases of people trying to pass off regular crabs as the Yangchenghu variety, including faking its stamp of authenticity.

Buyers who want to check that they have bought real crabs are urged to call to 11698988 or 01051437501.