China's insatiable appetite for an autumn delicacy

"On one hand, more people from outside the region where the crab is farmed are joining crowds that enjoy this seasonal delicacy. On the other hand, even die-hard connoisseurs are changing their way of savoring this dish, shifting from patiently dissecting the entire crustacean to indulging in ready-to-eat crab dishes," says Wu.

He recalls that the idea of crab dishes first manifested in Shanghai's dining scene back in the early 1990s when many newly emerged wealthy businesspeople were eager to pamper themselves with delicacies.

To meet the year-round demand for this product, which is only available during autumn, chefs at privately-owned eateries started extending the shelf life of the flesh and roes by frying them with pork lard.

Snowballing demand

Over the decades, similar crab dishes have become a staple at nearly every restaurant serving local cuisines. The retail market for this product has also boomed.

A report by China's e-commerce giant JD showed that retail consumption of hairy crabs increased by over 100 percent annually between 2016 and 2018. In 2018, the growth rate reached 140 percent nationwide.

Meanwhile, Suning, the country's leading retailer, says the amount of crabs it sold within eight hours during a special crab promotion day in September exceeded last year's total volume.

According to Shunfeng Express, one of the country's largest logistics companies, it delivered 300 million crabs in 2018, equaling the number of passengers who traveled by rail during Spring Festival. To cater to the burgeoning demand, the company has even designated an exclusive delivery route for the crabs during the peak season.

In March, a Suzhou-based company, Xi Feng Ge, announced that it spent 15 million yuan to gain access to farming and selling a new crab breed developed by an aquaculture scientist from Shanghai Maritime University.

Dubbed "Jianghai 21", this special breed took about 10 years for scientist Wang Chenghui and his team to perfect. According to the company, this new breed of hairy crabs will not only grow faster and larger, but also taste better.