As the saying goes: Crabs comes out when there comes the autumn wind. Enter autumn, also entered the crab’s good season. “In September, the umbilicus is round and the October is sharp, and the crab is enjoying the chrysanthemum and chrysanthemum sky”, which means that the female crab is the ftiest in the ninth month of the lunar calendar, and the male crab is the ftiest in the tenth month of the lunar calendar. So as soon as September rolls around, there’s a rush to grab a couple of crabs and tuck in. But how can you call yourself a crab eater if you haven’t tasted 12 of the most expensive hairy crabs in China?
1. Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab 阳澄湖大闸蟹
Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are famous all over the world. This crab is produced in Yangcheng Lake, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It is a famous Chinese product at home and abroad. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are generally fat, generally three of them weigh 500 grams, the larger one weighs more than 250 grams, and the largest one can reach 500 grams. They have green back, white belly, golden claws, yellow hair, ten strong limbs, plump crab meat, and rich nutrition. Since ancient times, Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs have attracted countless diners. Mrs. Tang Guoli, the wife of Zhang Taiyan, said in a poem: “It’s not Yangcheng crab that tastes good. Why live in Suzhou in this life?”
2. Tianjin Crab 天津紫蟹
This is a kind of Chinese mitten crab. It is small and only the size of a coat button. Uncover the crab cover, and the crab roe is purple in pig liver. After cooking, it turns orange red, and tastes delicious. Purple crabs are produced in cold and windy winter, so they are often used in assorted hotpot.
3. Laizhou Crab 莱州大蟹
This crab is a famous specialty of Ye County. The back of Laizhou Crab in Shandong Province has three bumps, and the front edge has nine serrations. The last tooth is very long and looks like a shuttle, so it is commonly known as “Portunus trituberculatus”. The maximum weight of the female crab is 0.75 kg. The eggs of female crabs, the cream of male crabs, the white and tender muscles in the claws and the meat on the hind legs of big crabs are all delicious.
4. South Lake Crab 南湖蟹
This crab is produced in the water network of Hangzhou, Jiaxing and Huzhou in Zhejiang Province. It is famous for its plump body and delicious meat. The lake crabs here used to breed naturally and were caught and listed in the flood season every year. Now we have started artificial breeding and stocking, and have achieved some results.
5. Yanting River Crab 炎亭江蟹
This crab is a famous aquatic product in Yanting, Pingyang County, Zhejiang Province. It is famous for its great taste and good reputation at home and abroad. The river crabs here have a large yield and good quality. They generally weigh 250g to 300g, and the big ones weigh more than 500g. They are full of fat.
6. Chaoshan Crab 潮汕赤蟹
This crab is Chaoshan paste crab. Its scientific name is Scylla serrata. It is a famous seafood in Chaoshan, Guangdong. The golden crab is the female crab with the most plump ovary; The fertilized female crab whose ovary is not too full is called “mother”: the slightly full female crab is called “flower crab”; The male crab is only used for frying, and together with the unfertilized female crab, it is called “meat crab”. The well bred mud crabs have thick legs and full meat. The cream is full of fat. After steaming, they are delicious and have high nutritional value.
7. Weishan Lake Drunken Crab 微山湖醉蟹
This crab is a traditional famous food in Shandong, which has a history of more than 200 years. This kind of drunken crab is refined from fresh crabs produced in Weishan Lake and various spices. The pickled drunk crab is still lifelike, and its color and shape are still like living crabs. Crab meat is snow-white, and crab roe is bright red. It is very delicious. It is a treasure at a banquet in the severe winter.
8. Zhongzhuang Drunken Crab 中庄醉蟹
This crab is a traditional famous product of Xinghua County, Jiangsu Province, with a long history. As the first crab to be made and the best one to be made is in Zhongbaozhuang, Xinghua County, it is called “Zhongzhuang Drunken Crab”. This kind of drunken crab, which looks like fresh crab, is lifelike on the plate; There are many ways for local people to make drunk crabs. Generally, the method of sealing and soaking is adopted for specialized production, which involves such processes as material selection, soaking, drying, villus removal, filling, sealing, altar loading, and sealing. It is also called “Empty and negative eyes without seeing Lushan Mountain”, and “empty and negative belly without eating drunk crabs”.
9. Tunxi Drunken Crab 屯溪醉蟹
This crab is a famous specialty in Tunxi, Anhui Province, with a history of more than 140 years. Tunxi Drunken Crab has a complete body, green in color, yellow in color, tender in meat, extremely delicious, strong wine smell, sweet aftertaste, and is a treasure at the banquet. The sealed drunk crab can be kept for two months without deterioration.
10. Zhiliao Crab 芷寮蟹
This crab is produced in Zhiliao Village, Wuyang Township, Wuchuan County, Guangdong Province. It is a top grade crab and famous both at home and abroad. Zhiliao Crab is famous mainly because its meat is very delicious and has a unique “top corner cream”. After autumn, the crab not only grows fat, but also grows a soft shell under the hard shell. Not only is the crab meat and crab yellow and delicious, but the soft shell is more popular, making people never tire of eating.
11. Liaoning Xingcheng Portunus 辽宁兴城梭子蟹
This crab is white, tender, creamy and delicious. It is the best quality of sea crabs.
12. Butter Crab 黄油蟹
It is famous for its sweet ointment and tender meat. When the butter crab is uncovered, a special smell of crab oil comes to your face. The crab is covered with a layer of yellow crab paste, and you can taste it carefully. The oil is sweet, tender, smooth, and delicious. It can be called “the best crab”. Butter crab is a rare crab species newly eaten in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao and other places in recent years. It enjoys a good reputation in the South and is known as the “king of crabs”.
See Also: Top 10 Famous Dishes in China