The invasion of Shanghai hairy crabs

These ten-legged creatures, Shanghai hairy crabs or the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis), began their journey from China and were airlifted to the Chinese Restaurant of Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa, Tea of Spring. These burrowing crabs are found along the coastal areas of East Asia from as far north as Korea to the southern province of China, Fujian province; but the best comes from Yangcheng Lake in Jiangsu Province.

These crabs live in fresh water but during breeding, they love to have sex in sea water; sometimes, in search of soul mates and food, they swim so far that they have become illegal immigrants in North America and Europe!

There are many species of the true crab; about 4,500 and some species are very familiar to us. In Bantayan Island, the lambay or blue crab (Calinectes sapidus) is common while in coastal areas where mangrove dominates, we can find the alimango (Scylla serrata) or lumayagan (Cebuano).

Very rare in Cebu is the coconut crab (Bistro lato). Named after the food it eats, it will climb a coconut tree, harvest the coconut, and uses its robust claws to dehusk the coconut and eat the flesh. Very careful gyud in catching these crustaceans! Sometimes, curacha (Spanish cucaracha or cockroach) from Zamboanga and Jolo Island reaches our markets. It is a curious yet delicious cross between crab and lobster.

Examining the underside of the crab differentiates the crab’s sex. The female has a broad, triangular-shaped area at the center of the shell, while the male has an elongated spire. The binabae or bakla (actually, underdeveloped females) have both features. Male crabs have yellow fat and more meat while the female has more yellow fat, lesser meat, plus the red coral or the prized aligue. Binabae or bakla have lots of yellow fat and some red coral.

Whatever the sex, when the crabs are cooked, they change color from their natural dull, dark blue green to orange or reddish color. This is due to the release of a pigment called astaxanthin when heated. 

At the Tea of Spring, work na pud for your favorite food columnist in sampling the culinary creativity of Executive Chinese Chef Kenny Yong: an elaborate eight-course lunch featuring the Shanghai hairy crabs. After appetites were whetted with the wok-fried radish cake with X.O. sauce, Shrimp dumpling, and the Sio Mai with Crab Roe, we began to scrutinize the flavors of the crab with the serving of the Hairy Crab Roe Soup. Nice!

In Shanghai, there is a saying that “September Female, October Male.” This means that the best season to consume female crabs is September in Chinese lunar calendar and October for male crab. And I did have a male crab – the Steamed Hairy Crab served with Ginger Chinese Tea.

The most delicious part is the yellow fat and the taste is something like the yolk of a soft boiled egg, with a touch of sugar and a dash of salt. Perfect example of the fifth taste is called “Umani,” as my dear friend Dr. Henry Yu would have described it. And the crab meat is said to prompt a “cooling “(yin) effect on the body. Yummy na, medicinal pa!

Three more dishes were then served: the Braised hairy Crab with Broccoli, Stewed hairy Crab with Soft Bean Curd and the Braised Hairy Crab with Hong Kong Noodles. Very nice lunch indeed!

Though it could have been better if the invitation was dinner and my loyal followers know the reason – a self-imposed restriction on alcohol beverages before six p.m. A little Shanghai Hua Tiao Chiew would have hastened the digestion! And all these exciting dishes are available only up to November 8 at the Tea of Spring.

The only problem with crab served whole is the difficulty in extracting the delicious meat hidden in the claws or in the maze of exoskeleton; it needs surgical precision and a lot of patience just to eat a crab. No problem for your food columnist because he had lots of practice with blue crabs in Bantayan Island in the late 70s. For the impatient crab cake na lang.