Local hairy crabs hit the market – come to Miaoli this autumn to enjoy them

Reported by Wu Qianwen / Taipei

▲ Hairy crabs produced in Miaoli (Photo / Reporter Wu Qianwen)

With the arrival of cool autumn days, it’s the perfect time to savor hairy crabs. Not to be outshined by those from the mainland, Miaoli County has also launched locally produced hairy crabs, emphasizing their healthiness, safety, and delicious taste. The crabs are graded by weight, aiming to ensure peace of mind for consumers.

County Magistrate Liu Cheng-hung personally appeared at a press conference on the 16th to promote the hairy crabs. He said that Miaoli County boasts an excellent natural environment, which is conducive to crab farming. Aside from the seedlings being specially supplied by the Chongming Island Seedling Base of Shanghai Ocean University, strict standards are applied in breeding management and water quality control. The crabs even have to pass the “64-item drug residue inspection” conducted by the Agricultural and Aquatic Products Inspection and Certification Center of Pingtung University of Science and Technology.

▲ Miaoli County Magistrate Liu Cheng-hung (third from left) vouches for it — the best place to eat hairy crabs is in Miaoli. (Photo / Reporter Wu Qianwen)

Officials in Miaoli County stated that every hairy crab produced in Miaoli comes with an anti-counterfeit ring that has passed SGS inspection. They are also awarded grading labels according to weight: green (2.6–3.5 taels), silver (3.6–5 taels), and gold (over 5.1 taels). Each anti-counterfeit ring also features an 18-digit authentication code. Foodies can scan the QR code with their smartphones to check each crab’s production history. Prices of Miaoli hairy crabs range from an average of over 300 NT dollars to over 400 NT dollars each, depending on the green, silver, or gold label.