Da Zha Xie (大闸蟹) — Hairy Crab Eating Ritual: Seasonal Ceremony

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Da zha xie (大闸蟹, hairy crab — also called Chinese mitten crab, named for the dense, hair-like growth on its claws) is the most celebrated seasonal delicacy of the Jiangnan region — crabs from Yangcheng Lake in Jiangsu province are considered the finest, harvested for 6-8 weeks in October-November when the crabs are at peak fatness. The eating of da zha xie is itself a ritual — the crabs are steamed whole, then disassembled at the table using a set of small utensils (crab tools, 蟹八件, xie ba jian, the eight pieces of crab equipment) and eaten methodically in a prescribed order to extract every possible morsel of the intensely flavoured crab roe, crab paste, and crab meat.

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