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.
The cooking: Steam the whole live crabs belly-side up (to prevent the roe from spilling out) over boiling water for 12-15 minutes. Serve immediately. The dipping sauce: Julienned fresh ginger in Chinkiang vinegar — the ginger neutralises the allegedly cooling properties of the crab (in Chinese medicine, crab is a 'cold' food — ginger is a 'warm' food used to balance it). The eating ritual: The prescribed order: start with the legs (suck the meat out of each segment), then the claws (use small claw crackers and picks to extract the white meat), then the body (lift the shell, scrape out the crab paste from the top shell — this is the most prized part — the bright orange roe, rich and intense), then the body cavity. The Shaoxing wine pairing: Da zha xie is traditionally accompanied by warm Shaoxing rice wine, drunk from small cups. The wine's fermented warmth is both a culinary pairing and a traditional counterbalance to the perceived cold nature of the crab.
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Fish and Rice (2016); Fuchsia Dunlop, Invitation to a Banquet (2023)