The Shanghai hairy crab 'experience'

I've eaten crab before, but Shanghai hairy crab (大闸蟹) is a different experience altogether. I had heard about these furry creatures (and their claws are quite furry - hence the name 'hairy' crab) since I arrived back in March. The famed 'hairy crab' season is a special two-month period from mid October to mid December where all of Shanghai (and Asia for that matter) erupts in a frenzy for the delicacy. They're everywhere - from the raw seafood shelves of my neighborhood Tesco hypermarket to the eight-course tasting menu at the Ritz Carlton's Hanagatami restaurant.

Eating the crab is an experience all in itself, and my first true taste of it was in the most classic of settings - a homemade Shanghainese meal. A's parents graciously invited me over to their home for a hairy crab feast, as A's dad had just brought back eight crabs from the most prized region of China - Yangcheng Lake. I was excited, not only by the prospect of sampling China's finest but also watching A's mom prepare the meal. (I love observing domestic goddesses at work, and with my best friend all the way in Thailand and my mom back in California, I've felt at loss of a role model - until recently. :))

The classic way to serve these crabs is steamed with a simple but fragrant ginger vinegar sauce that enhances the delicate flavor of the sweet meat. It's a true example of how simplicity and an appreciation of fresh, original flavors can produce something truly exquisite. The Shanghainese also pair the crab with rice wine (shaoxing jiu) to add a 'warming' balance to the otherwise 'cooling' crab.

But the reason I call Shanghai hairy crab an 'experience' is because of the arduous but oh-so-fun process involved in eating it. It's something like performing surgery (not that I've ever done it) where you meticulously dissect your subject in front of you, removing inedible parts such as the stomach and lungs while preserving the juicy and cholesterol-heavy orange roe. Eating one crab (and it's a small creature about the size of my fist) took me over half an hour. But the effort was more than worthwhile and the entire process fantastically messy - which is the only way to do it (or so I tell myself).

Looking back, there are a few of lessons I took away from the whole affair - one, do not wear white while you're eating crab, two - practice does not make perfect (I was far more impatient on my second crab), and three, homemade meals really are the best. The food is prepared with such love and the meal experience is so comforting. It's only at home that you can let loose and sit around the table cracking crab legs in your teeth, laughing over the carnage in front of you, and taking crazy pictures of all the embarrassing slipups ... it was truly an unforgettable and warming (not because of the alcohol) experience ...