SHANGHAI: Chinese Mitten Crab/Big Binding Crab/ Hairy Crab 大閘蟹

Just in season for these infamous Shanghai Hairy crabs in Asia. Locals and tourists alike wait for these babies to be ready for steaming in the Autumn.

Crab-eating traditions began thousands of years ago.

People found a strange and terrible kind of "pests with crusts" in the fields eating grains. They had sharp chelae and legs that could injure the farmers.

Some were bitten by the pests and people closed their doors before sunset for fear of attack.

However, a bold farmer could not bear them any longer and sprayed a basin of boiling water on the pests.

Suddenly, the pests stopped being pests and the green crust turned to gold.

Some brave farmers took them back home and stewed them. A strong aroma came out of the pests, which enticed one man to try one after peeling the crust away.

He found it was the most delicious food he had ever eaten in his entire life.

The news spread quickly, and people loved the taste of the pests and caught them with a view to eating them. Since then, the harmful pests have become a delicacy.

Last year around this time in Shanghai, I had my Hairy crabs for the first time. It was at a Xiao Long Bao restaurant(yes.. strange) Ding Tai Feng. I'm sure many of you food lovers must have heard of this taiwanese-owned chain.

The servers de-shell the crabs in front of you while serving. The yellowy yolk is not to be missed, not much crabmeat in the legs but the yolk .. oh ..the yolk.. MUST TRY.

Along with their other yummy dishes, viola!







*Note* Some pictures are stolen from my cousin as I didn't take that many pictures last time I went


And for the people who are not coming to my place tonight... that's what we're having.. so you can just sit here, read my blog and be jealous! :p