Is the Chinese mitten crab a "trigger food"? Price per jin and an introduction to its producing areas

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an economically important crab species, also known as the river crab, hairy crab, clear-water crab, and Chinese mitten crab. It is a delicacy on the dining table. But some people cannot eat it, so is it a trigger food? How much does it cost per jin on the market now? And what producing areas are there? It is reported that crabs are a trigger food; meat foods such as beef, mutton, shrimp, crabs and scaleless fish, as well as pungent, dispersing vegetables such as chives, cilantro, fennel, scallions and ginger, are all trigger foods.

1. The Chinese mitten crab is a trigger food; what to watch out for

1. People with a weak and cold constitution should not eat it.

2. People with sensitive skin should not eat it.

3. People with high cholesterol should not eat it.

4. Pregnant women should not eat it.

5. Never eat Chinese mitten crab half-cooked.

6. Never eat the crab heart. Between the two gills of the crab there is a hexagonal white crab heart, which is extremely cold in nature, so people with a weak and cold constitution should not eat it. In addition, none of the internal organs should be eaten, because the internal organs accumulate heavy metals, and eating a lot can easily cause poisoning.

7. Eat persimmons and crab together, and you will surely meet the King of Hell. Crab meat is rich in protein, and persimmons contain tannins; eating them together causes the protein to coagulate, leading to intestinal spasms.

8. Never wash down crab with beer.

9. Do not eat it together with icy cold foods.

2. How much does Chinese mitten crab cost per jin

1. River crab 28.82 yuan/jin

2. Last year's Yangcheng Lake Chinese mitten crab was not sold by the jin

3. 5 liang male crab, 2.5 liang female crab, 60 per pair

4 liang male crab, 3 liang female crab, 80 per pair

4.5 liang male crab, 3.5 liang female crab, 130 per pair

3. In March 2016, with the introduction of the "Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Ecological Optimization Action Implementation Plan", the area for crab farming became smaller, and a rise in crab prices in 2017 was certain. In 2017, the price of Yangcheng Lake Chinese mitten crab will also be viewed favorably all the way, opening high and rising high, and it is expected to hit a historic high before National Day, and a doubling of the price is also reasonable.

2. What producing areas are there for Chinese mitten crab

1. Yangcheng Lake

Yangcheng Lake Town is home to two peninsulas——the main island and Lotus Island. Its annual output of Chinese mitten crab is half of the total output of the Yangcheng Lake area. The biggest feature of going to Yangcheng Lake Town to eat crab may be the relatively good scenery; you can take a motorboat and cruise the lake, and it feels a bit like a hidden paradise.

Self-driving route: Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway—Zhengyi Interchange (the junction of the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway and the Suzhou Ring Expressway, turn right)—Ring Expressway Suzhou-Shanghai Expressway (head north all the way)—Shipai Interchange—Yangcheng Lake North Exit

2. Shajiabang Chinese mitten crab

The Chinese mitten crab of Shajiabang Town next to Changshu is likewise from Yangcheng Lake, and its quality is no different from the Chinese mitten crab of Bacheng and Weiting, only its fame is slightly weaker. Whether in terms of traffic conditions or the environment for eating crab, Shajiabang is quite good, and most importantly, after eating Chinese mitten crab, you can take a walk in the Shajiabang scenic area, which is mainly known for the Jiangnan water town pastoral scenery of “reed flowers blooming, rice paddies fragrant, and bank willows in rows”.

Self-driving route: Shanghai—Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway—Dongbang—Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway—get off at the Shajiabang exit.

3. Taihu crab

Taihu Lake covers an area of more than 2400 sq km, but not all of the lake surface is suitable for farming crabs. The East Taihu Bay enclosed by Miaogang, Dongshan and Xishan is the most suitable spot for farming crabs, with calm waters, clear water quality and lush aquatic plants; the Taihu Chinese mitten crab produced there has the fine reputation of being a “big fellow”, with large and powerful chelipeds, a blue-green shell, a pure white abdomen and tender, fresh meat.

Self-driving route: Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway—Suzhou-Jiaxing-Hangzhou Expressway (Wuzhong exit)—Ring Expressway Dongshan exit—Yuehu Road—Huanhu Road—Dongshan

4. Qintong bamboo-trap crab

Qintong Wetland Park covers an area of 26 frequent kilometers, and is a suburban wetland park featuring semi-natural farming wetlands. Because the place is large, there will be no situation of people crowding against one another. Here, besides being able to play, you can also fully taste the eight delicacies of Qintong; the aquatic products, vegetables, melons and fruits produced from the good environment also taste very different from those from large-scale farming.

Self-driving route: Shanghai-Jiading Expressway—Yanjiang Expressway—Jiangyin Bridge—transfer from Guangjing-Yan Expressway to Nanjing-Jingjiang-Yancheng Expressway—head toward Yancheng and get off at the Qintong exit—turn right 800 m to reach Qintong Wetland Park)

5. Chongming hairy crab is not as big as the Yangcheng Lake Chinese mitten crab, generally not exceeding 3 liang, and because it is pollution-free, it tastes delicious.

6. Sanmen

Sanmen mud crab belongs to sea crab; although it does not have the roe and hepatopancreas of lake crab, its crab meat is thick and plump, especially its chelipeds, which are huge and full with thick meat.

Self-driving route: Shanghai—Shanghai-Hangzhou Expressway—Hangzhou Ring Expressway—Xiasha Service Area—Xiasha Qiantang River Bridge—Hangzhou-Ningbo Expressway—Shangyu-Sanmen Expressway—get off at the Sanmen exit

Appendix: How to select Chinese mitten crab

Look: the crab's dorsal shell is blue-gray with a luster, the abdomen is white, the color is bright, there is no mark on the upper part of the abdomen, and the limbs are firmly connected and curved in shape.

Weigh: for sea crabs whose appearance meets the requirements upon visual inspection, weigh each one in your hand; those that feel heavy, or are relatively heavy, are plump crabs.

Peel: peel open the sea crab's umbilical cover; if the crab roe inside the shell is condensed and formed, then this crab is a good crab.

Pull: a sea crab's legs are all complete and unbroken; lightly pulling a crab leg gives a weak elastic resistance, indicating it is a fresh sea crab; if the sea crab is not fresh, lightly pulling the crab leg not only gives no weak resistance, but the crab leg easily breaks off.

Smell: if you smell a fishy stench from the sea crab, it means the sea crab has already spoiled and deteriorated and can no longer be eaten. Eating spoiled and deteriorated sea crab can very easily cause food poisoning.