Hairy Crab

Yangcheng Lake seasonal delicacy (Oct-Nov), the roe is the prize, and this is when Shanghai comes alive with crab restaurants. Hairy crab (dà zhà xiè) refers to freshwater crabs from the Yangcheng Lake region, recognizable by the dark hairs on their claws.

The crab is a seasonal ritual — men and women alike will line up for hours, and restaurants create special crab menus. In Shanghai, it's typically prepared steamed with ginger and vinegar, served whole with the shell still intact. You eat it by cracking the shell, extracting the delicate meat, and savoring both the flesh and the roe.

Men prefer orange roe (male), while women often prefer white roe (female) — though both are delicious. The crab is best eaten within days of purchase; frozen or out-of-season crabs lack the freshness and texture that make this such a coveted delicacy.