Hairy crab stocks this year may have hit a record high, but industry players say demand is still outstripping supply by a significant margin.

Thanks to a mild summer and optimal breeding methods, both the amount and quality of hairy crabs, a freshwater crustacean farmed mostly in East China's Yangtze River region, have reached historical highs this year.

However, the increased supply still isn't enough to satiate China's growing appetite for this premium seasonal delicacy. Instead, it has spurred chefs, restaurateurs and retailers to up the ante and make this shellfish the nation's most coveted ingredient that could rival the exclusivity of truffles and caviar in Western countries.

According to the China Fisheries Association, the total volume of hairy crabs produced this year should reach 850,000 metric tons, up by more than 10 percent from last year and breaking the previous record of 820,000 metric tons set in 2016.

The average weight of male and female crabs in East China's Yangcheng Lake, for example, has also appreciated, reaching 220 grams and 170 grams respectively.

"Despite the record high produce, the market price of hairy crabs has not dropped. In fact, the prices of the best quality ones have even gone up. This is partly due to the rising cost of farming the crabs, but also mainly because the soaring demand is outstripping supply," says Yang Weilong, a senior engineer of aquaculture and consultant of China Fisheries Association.

Dubbed as the man who "fished diamond out of water", Yang has been largely responsible for turning the famous hairy crabs produced in Yangcheng Lake into a national brand at the turn of the century. Yang, who is also the founder of the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab Association, was recognized as one of the 10 most influential people in this industry by the Ministry of Agriculture in 2006.

"The hairy crab, after decades of improved breeding and marketing efforts, stands out as the epitome of China's refined taste and culinary skills due to its unique characteristics and historical background," says Yang.

Versatile ingredient

Named after its furry claws, hairy crabs are native to China and have been enjoyed by the locals for centuries. This shellfish is coveted for its creamy and savory roes.

While the hairy crab is mostly available only during the autumn months - this is when the drop in temperatures result in the creature accumulating fat to stay warm - there is a long-standing tradition to make crab butter that can be savored all year round.

Making this butter is a painstaking process that includes dissecting and digging out every morsel of flesh and roe by hand before slow cooking it for hours with pork fat. Known in Chinese as tu huang you, crab butter is believed to be created by home cooks who worked for rich clans in late 19th century.

"The diversity and possibilities within this fist-sized shellfish are infinite," says Wu Yi, executive chef of Maison on One, the Chinese restaurant in Bellagio Shanghai, an ultra-luxury hotel backed by China's Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and American leisure giant MGM Resort International.

"It can be either savored alone as an individual course, or paired together with a variety of vegetables, seafood and staples," adds Wu, a 46-year-old Shanghai native.

At Maison on One, which offers a range of Chinese cuisines, including Cantonese, Sichuan and Shanghai, Wu has created a special crab menu featuring 13 dishes. One of his proudest creations, he says, is a lasagna-inspired dish that replaces flour with tofu and cheese with crab roe. Even the desserts are made using hairy crab.

"On one hand, more people from outside the region where the crab is farmed are joining crowds that enjoy this seasonal delicacy. On the other hand, even die-hard connoisseurs are changing their way of savoring this dish, shifting from patiently dissecting the entire crustacean to indulging in ready-to-eat crab dishes," says Wu.

He recalls that the idea of crab dishes first manifested in Shanghai's dining scene back in the early 1990s when many newly emerged wealthy businesspeople were eager to pamper themselves with delicacies.

To meet the year-round demand for this product, which is only available during autumn, chefs at privately-owned eateries started extending the shelf life of the flesh and roes by frying them with pork lard.

Snowballing demand

Over the decades, similar crab dishes have become a staple at nearly every restaurant serving local cuisines. The retail market for this product has also boomed.

A report by China's e-commerce giant JD showed that retail consumption of hairy crabs increased by over 100 percent annually between 2016 and 2018. In 2018, the growth rate reached 140 percent nationwide.

Meanwhile, Suning, the country's leading retailer, says the amount of crabs it sold within eight hours during a special crab promotion day in September exceeded last year's total volume.

According to Shunfeng Express, one of the country's largest logistics companies, it delivered 300 million crabs in 2018, equaling the number of passengers who traveled by rail during Spring Festival. To cater to the burgeoning demand, the company has even designated an exclusive delivery route for the crabs during the peak season.

In March, a Suzhou-based company, Xi Feng Ge, announced that it spent 15 million yuan to gain access to farming and selling a new crab breed developed by an aquaculture scientist from Shanghai Maritime University.

Dubbed "Jianghai 21", this special breed took about 10 years for scientist Wang Chenghui and his team to perfect. According to the company, this new breed of hairy crabs will not only grow faster and larger, but also taste better.

Devoted to crab

Many dining establishments that specialize only in hairy crabs have also spawned over the years.

At East, a new restaurant at Shanghai's Galeries Lafayette which offers Huaiyang cuisine, chef Wu Wen presents a meal where each dish is made from a specific part of the crab.

For example, the claw meat is steamed with egg white to create a pudding, while water celery is wok-fried with crab oil. Even the amuse bouche trio comprising green bean paste, vinegar jelly and Chinese pasta have incorporated what chef Wu called "leftover bits and pieces of a crab".

"The last thing a modern restaurant should offer is a steamed hairy crab, which every household can easily prepare. People today dine out not because they want to fill their bellies but because they want to be surprised. I believe that's why people will pay for a feast that costs far more than the retail price of hairy crabs," says the 32-year-old.

An eight-course crab feast costs around 600 yuan ($85.4) at East. In contrast, the price of an average pair of crabs, one male and one female, is only around 30 yuan on Taobao.

"The fact that hairy crabs are seasonal and regional has made it more likely to evoke a national or even international demand. It's human nature to seek what's uncommon," says Xie Xie, general manager of Cheng Long Hang, a high-end restaurant chain from Shanghai that specializes in hairy crabs.

Awarded a star by the 2020 Michelin Guide Shanghai, Cheng Long Hang (Huangpu) is the first and only restaurant in the food guide that revolves around just one ingredient.

"We see the star more as a credit to the hairy crabs than to us. We are flattered but not really surprised since we have always believed in the potential of the delicacy," says Xie.

Founded by Ke Wei, a native of East China's Fujian province, the chain has a dozen outlets across the country and is backed by a complete supply chain starting from crab farming to factory processing to a wholesale business operated by its parent company, which shares the same name as the restaurant.

Despite its premium offering, the company says it has been unaffected by the central government's luxurious spending ban that has taken place over the years. In fact, it has managed to consistently sell a whopping one million kilograms of hairy crabs every year.

"Shark fin and abalone are outdated. Puffer fish is too risky and knife fish is basically extinct. Hairy crabs, on the other hand - they have a coveted spot in Chinese culinary culture," says Ke.

"As a Chinese food producer, all we need to do is to make sure the quality and taste of hairy crabs don't deteriorate. Who knows? We might even see these crabs end up on dining tables around the world in the future, placed alongside the likes of oysters and lobsters."