Jiangxi hairy crabs crowned king and queen
This year's crab king (right) and queen are held up by judges.
Two hairy crabs from Jiangxi Province — a male weighing 657.7 grams and a 426.1-gram female — were crowned “king and queen crabs” at a competition in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Both the king and queen are heavier than last year’s, which weighed 643.02 grams and 425.6 grams respectively.
Organized by Shanghai Ocean University and Central Hotel Shanghai, this year’s competition is the 14th of its kind and the largest yet. More than 100 aqua farms around the country, including 27 in Shanghai, brought 2,500 hairy crabs, compared to last year's 2,000 from around 80 farms.
Hairy crabs are considered a seasonal delicacy in China, and are at their best in autumn and early winter.
Ma Xuzhou an associate professor at Shanghai Ocean University, said the quality of hairy crabs was the best yet due to improved breeding technology and measures.
“This year, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and floods had an adverse influence on breeding in the first half of the year, such as a decrease in breading area, but advanced breeding technology and tools have helped overcome the challenges,” said Ma. “The output may have declined a little bit, but sizes are bigger than last year. So there are still plenty of supplies of good quality. Consumers can buy crabs at prices flat to those last year.”
