Hairy crab season approaches, with higher prices

With hairy crab season about to begin, residents are expected to pay a premium this year for the seasonal delicacy, crab experts told the Global Times Sunday.

Residents will have to pay at least 30 percent more for crabs raised in Yangcheng Lake in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, which boasts the best hairy crab farms in the country, said Wang Wu, an aquatic farming professor at Shanghai Ocean University.

Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs may still be considered the best, but other crab producers in the region are making strides to catch up. "More than 30 years ago, Yangcheng Lake produced the best hairy crabs in the country, but it is no longer the case," Wang told the Global Times. "Other farms, including those on Chongming Island and in Songjiang district, produce crabs that match the quality of those from Yangcheng Lake."

A total of 300 tons of Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs are sold annually in Shanghai, accounting for 15 percent of the lake's annual output, according to the Hairy Crab Industry Association. Yet hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake make up only a fraction of the 50,000 tons sold each year in the city.

Wang said residents would be better off paying less attention to the renowned brand. "Most people do not know how to pick out a good hairy crab and choose to believe all Yangcheng Lake crabs are the best," he said.

Hairy crabs will cost 15 percent more than last year's prices, said Wu Lei, a crab vendor at Shanghai's Tongchuan Road Market. He estimated the price for a female and male pair of hairy crabs will range from 100 yuan ($15.76) to more than 3,000 yuan.