Would you pay $2,000 for a pair of crabs? The Restaurant Association of Singapore Academy is hoping that someone will. They are putting up the ‘king’ and ‘queen’ hairy crabs up for auction to be held at Tung Lok Seafood Gallery at East Coast this afternoon, as part of the restaurant’s Jiangsu Hairy Crab promotion. The proceeds from the auction will go to the Rasa’s building funds for their new headquarters. Granted, these crabs don’t look that delicious. But to food connoisseurs, the hairy crab is a delicacy that many in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taipei go ga-ga over every autumn. They are prized for their rich golden roe, which is said to be as smooth as cream. According to a Straits Times report, one 250g hairy crab costs about $45, compared to a 1kg Sri Lankan crab which sells for about $30. But the two ‘royal’ crabs will fetch whole lot more. They were brought in especially from Jiangsu in China by the province’s Seafood and Fishing Industry Board’s director, Mr. Song Jiaxin. The ‘king’ crab reportedly weighs 440g, while the ‘queen’ weighs about 320g. Mr. Song told Lianhe Wanbao that they are considered exceptionally large for hairy crabs found in the Taihu lake. He said that only one crab out of five million grow to be this size. A normal hairy crab weighs between 200g and 250g. The body of the perfect hairy crab is about the size of a rice bowl, and the male crab has bigger claws and more bristles along its legs. The report also quoted Mr. Andrew Tjioe, CEO of Tung Lok Restaurants and also the vice-chairman of the Rasa, as saying that a 250g hairy crab is already considered large. Mr. Song said that the crabs are bred naturally at the Yang Cheng and Taihu lakes near the mouth of the Yangtze River. The two lakes are said to produce the best crabs, and farms there even imprint their shellfish with a laser stamp and serial number. Some farms try to pass off their crabs as originating from Yang Cheng lake, but the authentic crabs are characterized by a jade-green or deep-blue shell, a jade-white belly, and long, hard, blonde bristles on their legs, and they spit foam constantly. Mr. Song added that it takes two years for crabs to grow to the usual size of 250g.Last year, Singapore imported more than 50 tons worth of hairy crabs. But this amount is still nothing compared to the Hong Kong people, who are known for their near-obsession for these tasty crustaceans. They consumed nearly 1,000 tons of the autumn delicacy last year.
Source: Expensive