China's insatiable appetite for an autumn delicacy

Devoted to crab

Many dining establishments that specialize only in hairy crabs have also spawned over the years.

At East, a new restaurant at Shanghai's Galeries Lafayette which offers Huaiyang cuisine, chef Wu Wen presents a meal where each dish is made from a specific part of the crab.

For example, the claw meat is steamed with egg white to create a pudding, while water celery is wok-fried with crab oil. Even the amuse bouche trio comprising green bean paste, vinegar jelly and Chinese pasta have incorporated what chef Wu called "leftover bits and pieces of a crab".

"The last thing a modern restaurant should offer is a steamed hairy crab, which every household can easily prepare. People today dine out not because they want to fill their bellies but because they want to be surprised. I believe that's why people will pay for a feast that costs far more than the retail price of hairy crabs," says the 32-year-old.

An eight-course crab feast costs around 600 yuan ($85.4) at East. In contrast, the price of an average pair of crabs, one male and one female, is only around 30 yuan on Taobao.

"The fact that hairy crabs are seasonal and regional has made it more likely to evoke a national or even international demand. It's human nature to seek what's uncommon," says Xie Xie, general manager of Cheng Long Hang, a high-end restaurant chain from Shanghai that specializes in hairy crabs.