Best year to savor hairy crabs as Shanghai selects king and queen

A new "hairy crab king" and "queen" were selected in Shanghai on Tuesday, as the best season for enjoying the tasty delicacy arrives.

This year's king and queen weigh 642 grams and 521 grams, respectively, and are from aquafarms in Jiangsu and Jiangxi provinces. Both are heavier than last year's king and queen, weighing 569.8 grams and 433.2 grams, respectively.

Organized by Shanghai Ocean University and Central Hotel Shanghai, this year's competition was the 17th edition. It featured more than 2,800 hairy crabs from 120 aquafarms across the country.

Hairy crabs are considered a seasonal delicacy in China, and taste the best in autumn and early winter.

The crabs were measured for size, weight and taste during the event, while their genes were collected for breeding better species.

Wang Chenhui, a professor from Shanghai Ocean University, said this year is the best-ever year to taste hairy crabs, which are bigger in size and cheaper in price.

"With improvement in the quality of crabseed and cultivation technology as well as the favorable weather this year without extreme heat, the crabs are generally bigger and heavier than those in previous years," he noted.

"The price is also favorable," Wang added. "With the same price consumers can buy heavier crabs this year. So it's the best year to enjoy the seasonal delicacy."