Autumn leaves do not fall in Hong Kong (because we have no trees!), but the Hairy Crabs, 大閘蟹, seem to fall out of the sky, carpeting our city streets as the northern winds begin to blow. Everywhere you look now it is hairy crabs: the supermarket, the wet market, the street side shops temporarily transformed over to exclusively sell the little mittened crabs.
These little crabs, distinctive by the brown fur merrily coating their front pinchers, are originally from Yangcheng Lake and Tai Wu Lake (where my daddy grew up!) in Jiangsu province. Nowadays these hairy critters are the impetus behind a huge annual gastronomic money making affair. Gastronomic because the hairy crabs are revered for their richly fragrant roe and succulent golden fat. Money making because the crabs are very expensive, costing from 100-400 HKD each!
But hey, what's the use of money if we can't use it to satisfy our every culinary desire...
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| Look at that unctuous crab roe and golden fat! |
