Stone Armor Red Crab

Stone Armor Red Sea Crab

　　Sea crabs are commonly found in the rocky reef areas of Wendeng, but the Stone Armor Red stands out among them. It gets its name—Stone Armor Red or Red Shell Red—from the slight reddish hue on its abdomen and leg edges. This crab prefers to inhabit low-tide rocky reef zones and areas dense with seaweed. The Wendeng coastline, with its numerous reefs and abundant seaweed, provides rich feeding grounds, making it a primary habitat for the Stone Armor Red, whose population density leads the Yellow and Bohai Seas.

　　The Stone Armor Reds produced in Wendeng are large in size, with tender meat, delicious flavor, and rich nutrition. They are at their plumpest in late spring and mid-autumn. Local fishermen often refer to these two seasons as “wheat-yellow crab” and “bean-yellow crab.” There’s also a local saying: “August crabs are the fattest,” and “Eat pointed-belly crabs in spring, round-belly ones in autumn,” referring to the fact that by the lunar eighth month, the crabs are at their absolute best.

　　The most popular way to enjoy fresh Stone Armor Reds is by steaming or boiling. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that while crabs are delicious, they are also cold in nature, whereas alcohol is fragrant and warming. Therefore, coastal men often drink some white liquor when eating Stone Armor Reds to prevent chill in the stomach. In hotels and restaurants, aside from boiling or steaming, there are also many ways to prepare them, such as ginger crab, fried crab, stir-fried crab meat, crab roe scrambled eggs, and crab roe custard. Stone Armor Reds can also be eaten dried: steam the fresh crabs, remove the meat, and sun-dry it into what’s called “crab rice.” It’s used to make soup in autumn and winter when fresh crabs aren’t available, combining a clean freshness with deep umami—a taste you won’t forget once you’ve tried it.

　　Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the Stone Armor Red Sea Crab has the effects of clearing heat, dispersing blood stasis, and healing fractures. It can help treat injuries to tendons and bones, scabies, lacquer sores, and burns. Recent medical research has also found that the Stone Armor Red Sea Crab has anti-tuberculosis properties, greatly benefiting recovery from tuberculosis.