What Is Hairy Crab?
By: Hias Gourmet
Insights into one of the pleasures of Chinese life
How does one explain, in a few short paragraphs, something that's such an important part of Chinese life, like hairy crab? If you've spent any time in China, especially in the autumn, it's hard to look anywhere and not see specialty crab stores (with aquariums containing live crabs), as well as crabs in almost every menu in high end restaurants. Chinese gourmands—they all eat hairy crab.
Hairy crab, also known as mitten crab, derived its name from its physical features. Both female and male varieties have a dark cuff halfway up their claws that look similar to a muff. On each of their legs, solid pale hairs stand straight out.
Crabs from Yangcheng
Many types of crab are available in Chinese specialty seafood stores and wet markets all year round, including several types from the Pacific Ocean, as well the all-popular imported Alaskan king crabs. Yet when locals speak about "Du za ha" in the Shanghai dialect, they mean the local Eriocher sinensis.
These crabs are harvested along the Yangtze River delta and even along the eastern Chinese coastline. Preferring breeding grounds with temperature and salinity variations, millions of crabs crawl to the Yangtze River when the cool September wind chills the river and where the fresh and salty waters meet. The chill signals the crabs to move less, bulk up with fat, and more importantly, to produce roe. Even though the official season for hairy crabs starts in late September, crab enthusiasts will patiently wait until mid-October to savour the fattest, most roe-laden female crabs. It is at this time that crab talk reaches a fiercely feverish pitch. For these crab lovers, only one type of crab counts. That crab comes from an ancient lake in Jiangsu province, today of one China's most prosperous provinces.
Yangcheng Lake. It is the legendary lake 60 kilometres away from Shanghai that produces crabs with sweet flesh and fat bright orange-coloured roe. It was a delightful topic for Tang Dynasty poets to indulge in some 1300 years ago and the fascination lives on. Today, these crabs are more precious than ever with very single harvested Yangcheng crab tagged to ensure its authenticity.
Pairing Crab with Wine
Hairy crab is usually cooked and served Yangtze River Delta-style. It is delicately steamed, and served with an accompaniment of ginger slivers and sweet Zhenjiang vinegar. This vinegar, one of the best in China, is a type of aged black vinegar with a complex, malty flavour with warming, or yang characteristics. Crab is eaten with this accoutrement to counterbalance the yin, or cooling, effects of the crab.
When it comes to wine pairing, the traditional Chinese would also seek a yin-yang balance, complementing a “hot” dish with a cooling wine or vice versa. With delicate flesh, rich roe, and a vinegar-based sauce that is both sweet and gingery, the Chinese have traditionally complimented this dish with Shaoxing yellow wine. The hairy crab's "cool" nature makes it a perfect pairing with the yellow wine, which is believe to warm the body, and thus again balancing the hot-cold differences.
Western food pairing which looks at complementing dishes with a wine that matches its structure and flavor takes on an entirely different approach. Many experts have paired crabs that are served hot with Riesling and Chablis, while chilled crabs are paired with Gris'.
Crabs are a delicate dish and with their slight far/sweet aftertaste, can be a challenge to accompany with wines. Nonetheless, these pairings, tried and tested, continue to enhance this beautiful dish. In the 21st century, the love for hairy crabs lives on.
Established in 2007, Hias Gourmet is a Beijing-based firm specializing in experential culinary events and travel in China. http://www.hiasgourmet.com/
