China's insatiable appetite for an autumn delicacy

Awarded a star by the 2020 Michelin Guide Shanghai, Cheng Long Hang (Huangpu) is the first and only restaurant in the food guide that revolves around just one ingredient.

"We see the star more as a credit to the hairy crabs than to us. We are flattered but not really surprised since we have always believed in the potential of the delicacy," says Xie.

Founded by Ke Wei, a native of East China's Fujian province, the chain has a dozen outlets across the country and is backed by a complete supply chain starting from crab farming to factory processing to a wholesale business operated by its parent company, which shares the same name as the restaurant.

Despite its premium offering, the company says it has been unaffected by the central government's luxurious spending ban that has taken place over the years. In fact, it has managed to consistently sell a whopping one million kilograms of hairy crabs every year.

"Shark fin and abalone are outdated. Puffer fish is too risky and knife fish is basically extinct. Hairy crabs, on the other hand - they have a coveted spot in Chinese culinary culture," says Ke.

"As a Chinese food producer, all we need to do is to make sure the quality and taste of hairy crabs don't deteriorate. Who knows? We might even see these crabs end up on dining tables around the world in the future, placed alongside the likes of oysters and lobsters."