Maoshan Crabs

Maoshan Crabs

Maoshan Crabs are a protected geographical indication product.

　　The Maoshan crabs (from Ce Lake in Xishui and Maoshan Mountain in Qichun), scientifically known as the Chinese mitten crab, are famed for their large size, plump bodies, rich roe, and delicious flavor. According to the Qizhou Annals from the Qing Dynasty's Guangxu era: “Crabs from around Maoshan Mountain have richer roe and sweeter taste, surpassing those from other places.” Each Maoshan crab can weigh up to half a pound, and the abundance of roe causes them to crawl with their bellies flat against the ground, unlike other crabs that prop themselves up on their claws. The fattest season for Maoshan crabs is around the Beginning of Autumn. There’s a saying: “Pointed in July, round in August,” and “By the Double Ninth Festival in September, the crabs are full of roe.” Crab meat is cool in nature and salty in taste, highly nutritious and delicious. “All types of crabs, whether cooked fresh, preserved in salt, cured in wine lees, soaked in liquor, or marinated in soy sauce, are considered delicacies” (Ming Dynasty: Li Shizhen, Compendium of Materia Medica). Especially the crab roe (ovaries and digestive glands) is even more flavorful, and also high in nutritional and medicinal value. Crab meat and roe contain large amounts of protein (14.5 grams per 100 grams), fat, vitamin A, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, riboflavin, as well as calcium, phosphorus, potassium, iron, and other elements. Cooking methods include soaking in liquor, curing in wine lees, marinating in soy sauce, stir-frying, and steaming. Before steaming, rinse the dirt off the crab shells with clean water, then soak them in saltwater for about an hour to allow the crabs to expel bacteria and impurities from their intestines, then rinse them again with clean water. Steam the crabs until fully cooked—the sign of doneness is when the shell turns red. If you steam the crabs and serve them with minced ginger and vinegar, along with a splash of hot liquor, it not only sterilizes and warms the body but also enhances the flavor. According to the Commentary on the Materia Medica, eating steamed crabs dipped in vinegar can nourish the bone marrow, support liver yin, relax tendons, and invigorate blood circulation. Maoshan crabs also help disperse blood stasis, fight tuberculosis, counteract datura poisoning, treat eel venom and lacquer poisoning, cure malaria and jaundice, or can be mashed into a paste to treat scabies and ringworm, or juiced and dropped into the ears to treat deafness—all with good therapeutic effects. A story circulates in the Ce Lake area of Xishui: In the second year of the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty (1369), Kang Maocai, a minister of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang (a native of Qichun who served as the Associate Director of the Grand Commandant's Office, concurrently as the Right Commandant of the Crown Prince’s Guard, later promoted to the rank of Duke of Glory, and posthumously honored as the Duke of Qichun by the Ming court), returned home to visit family. When he went back to the capital, he specially brought Maoshan crabs from Ce Lake to the imperial kitchen, where they were made into crab roe noodles and presented to the emperor. After tasting them, Zhu Yuanzhang praised: “The color and flavor of these crabs are excellent, truly marvelous!”

　　Why are the crabs from Ce Lake so good? It’s mainly due to the favorable ecological conditions. Ce Lake has abundant Vallisneria and Myriophyllum, whose roots are crisp and sweet, and the lake teems with fish and shrimp—ideal food for crabs. Additionally, the lakebed has soft soil, the water is clear, and there’s plenty of sunlight, all of which benefit the growth of Maoshan crabs. In the early Qing Dynasty, the annual yield was 20,000 to 30,000 jin (approximately 10,000–15,000 kg); after the construction of the Maoshan Sluice in the 29th year of Guangxu (1903), the yield dropped to around 20,000 jin. In 1900, when the Maoshan Sluice was reconstructed again, the channel connecting the river and lake was blocked, preventing juvenile crabs from swimming upstream into the lake. Coupled with land reclamation around the lake, which reduced its surface area, the Maoshan crabs nearly disappeared.

　　The production area of Maoshan crabs (Maofeng crabs) is the waters of Ce Lake in Sanhua Town, Xishui County, Hubei Province, covering six administrative villages under its jurisdiction: Ce Lake Village, Haodun Village, Xiannv Temple Village, Shanzhouping Village, Maoshan Sluice Village, and Sihao Village, with a total area of 30.23 square kilometers.