Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs

Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs

　　The distinctive physical features of Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs are: greenish-black backs, white bellies, full claws, yellow hairs, and a robust build.

Greenish-black backs: The crab's shell is a shiny, clean, crab-shell green. When cooked, it turns a bright, vivid red. This differs from the grayish, earthy tones of crabs from other lake regions, which turn grayish-red when cooked.

White bellies: The crab’s belly is white and glossy, giving it the aesthetic of shiny, jade-like brightness. This sets it apart from the gray or grayish bellies of crabs from other lake areas.

Golden claws: The tips of the claws have a golden-yellow hue resembling tobacco, and the two pincers and eight legs are meaty and strong. They can support the crab’s weight on a glass plate and move about freely. Crabs from other lake regions have thinner, weaker claws without a distinct golden-yellow color at the tips.

Yellow hairs: The fuzz on the crab’s pincers and the fine hairs on the claws are yellow. The fuzz on the crab is dense and soft, while the hairs on the claws are clean and yellow. Crabs from other lake areas have earthy-colored, unclean hairs.

Robust build: Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs are sturdy, thick-bodied, and solid. Compared to crabs of the same size from other lake regions, Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs are significantly heavier, with no hollow or watery shells.

The color, flavor, and aroma of Liangzi Lake Hairy Crabs are beyond description. “The pincers are sealed with tender jade, paired and full; the shells bulge with red fat in jade-green chunks.” The orange-red crab roe, the white-jade-like crab fat, and the tender, snow-white crab meat represent the pinnacle of color, taste, and aroma—unparalleled and unmatched by crabs from any other lake region.