It is once again the season for tasting hairy crabs.

Renowned for its supreme combination of colour and flavour, the YangChenghu hairy crab is the most famous crustacean both in China and overseas. With distinctive features of green carapace, white abdomen, yellow hair and golden brown claws, the YangChenghu hairy crab boasts an orange roe, white fat and tender meat, rich in nutrition with a strong fragrance. Crab lovers call it the "King of Crabs. "

There are many ways to cook this delicious food, including steaming, drunken, fragrant salt, fried with shallots and spicy. Steaming is the most popular, as this method retains the original fresh taste of the hairy crab.

The highlight is, of course, enjoying the reputed YangChenghu hairy crabs together with the mixed juice of vinegar, ginger and sugar. As "hairy crabs are cooling" to the body, a crab meal is usually accompanied with warmed Shaoxing rice wine or sherry, perfect with this steamed delicacy to rebalance the body's yin and yang.

The "Crab Eight" is a unique set of tools for eating crab, which was invented
in the Ming Dynasty. Made of bronze or silver, this set of tools includes a hammer,
a clamp, a shovel, a scraper and a pin. A professional crab eater can put the whole crab back together after eating it. The "Crab Eight" is a symbol of the elegance
and grace of crab culture.

To discover more stories about the YangChenghu hairy crab, come to Summer Palace during October and November to try this best seasonal dish.
Have some of the finest hairy crabs in town made in a very tasty way.