The Chinese Mitten Crab or the Hairy Crab is one of the top autumn delicacies in China. Hairy crab season starts from late September up to the beginning of early December. The crabs originated as a delicacy among the Shanghainese community but has gained popularity in Hong Kong, Singapore and other Chinese communities as well. Crabs caught from Yang Cheng Lake are the most prized. The crustaceans are noted for their golden roe, despite not possessing a particularly sizeable portion of meat. They are typically eaten with vinegar.
The crabs are obviously alive year-round but the reason why they are an autumn delicacy is because the hairy crabs typically have their sexual awakening in late August and the autumn period is when they breed. It is during this time when the amount of golden roe inside their bodies will be at their peak.
Do note that the Chinese Hairy Crab is different from Japanese Hairy Crab or Horsehair Crab (Kegani).
In Singapore, hairy crab is popular especially in Chinese restaurants where each outlet would roll out its own version of a hairy crab menu. Among households that prepare their own meals, hairy crabs are very popular as well. This particular list shows you how you can have raw or live hairy crab delivered right to your doorstep – often with free delivery. I will also try to present restaurants’ hairy crab menus once they become available. This list is not arranged in any particular order so feel free to compare for the establishment that best suits your needs.
Should You Buy Male or Female Hairy Crabs ?
When purchasing these crustaceans, you may wonder whether to get male or female hairy crabs. Both male and female crabs are filled with roe but the texture and consistency differ. Female hairy crabs tend to have firmer roe – not too different from the texture of salted egg yolk – while male hairy crabs tend to have a creamier and delicate texture. To get the best of both worlds, it is advisable to buy a mix of both genders and most vendors below sell such bundles as well.
Fresh Hairy Crab
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8 Crabs
8 crabs hairy crab (source: 8 crabs)
8 Crabs is a premium crab and seafood delivery service. They are known for their express delivery of freshly cooked crabs with as little as 1 hour notice (plus 15 minutes of order processing). If you find yourself suddenly craving for these fabulous crustaceans, 8 Crabs can satisfy your appetite with just a short wait. For hairy crab season, they are offering steamed hairy crabs for delivery in bundles of 1 / 2 / 4 / 8 crabs. They certify that their hairy crabs come from Yang Cheng Lake and customers are allowed to choose between both genders or even to choose a combination when placing orders. Their male hairy crabs weigh approximately 250 grams while their female crabs weigh about 200 grams.
Prices: S$368.90 for a bundle of eight steamed hairy crabs / S$187.90 for 4 crabs / S$94.90 for 2 crabs / S$55 for 1 crab
Delivery: S$120 minimum order for free delivery / S$8 fee for standard delivery / S$18 fee for express 1 hour delivery
Order here
Mamago SG
mamago sg hairy crab (source: mamago sg)
Mamago is a company based locally that specializes in distributing hairy crabs and other frozen seafood. Their crabs are air flown direct from China and are specially hand-picked to ensure that only the freshest and tastiest are delivered to customers.
You can buy both genders of hairy crab from them. Male hairy crabs come in weights of 150/200/250 grams each while female hairy crabs weigh 125/150/200 grams.
Prices: Starting from S$169.92 for 6pcs female hairy crabs (150grams per piece)
Delivery: Free delivery with minimum order of S$45
Order here
7RP Foods
*Lower Priced* 7RP Foods is offering live hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake. These are female crabs of varying sizes. There are 5 sizes available – 100g, 125g, 150g, 165g and 175g – with different prices for each. Their hairy crabs are among the cheapest available this season and they deliver for free as well.
Prices: Starting from S$78 for 6pieces of hairy crab (female)
Delivery: Free delivery with no minimum order
Order here
Seaco
seaco hairy crab (source: seaco)
Seaco is one of Singapore’s leading distributors of seafood and they are known for their frozen fish, shellfish, abalone, etc. For hairy crab season, they are selling the crustaceans as a set. Their bundles come as a set of 3 pieces of crabs, a serving of vinegar, a pack of perilla leaves, cutleries and ginger tea. All you need to do is to cook the crabs and you’re done.
Prices: Starting from S$145.90 per bundle (4 crabs with 2 sets of cutlery)
Delivery: Free delivery with minimum order of S$45
Order here
Tuck Shop SG
tuck shop hairy crab (source: tuck shop sg)
Tuck Shop SG was established in 2010 and offers cold items for party needs. This includes various kinds of fresh seafood, beverages and desserts. For hairy crab season, they are offering freshly flown crabs from Yangc Cheng Lake in Jiangsu. Their crabs come with authenticity tag to trace the source. The crabs are sold singularly or in bundles of 2, 4 or 6 pieces and customers can combine between male and female crabs.
Prices: From S$80 for a pair of hairy crabs
Delivery: Free with minimum S$45 order
Order here
Kun Hai Shop
kun hai hairy crab (source: kun hai)
Kun Hai is a local seller specializing in various items from China. These include snack items, instant noodles, beverages, condiments, etc. For hairy crab season, they are selling crabs in bulk in sets of 10, 12 or 16 pieces. You can also choose bundles with half male/half female crabs.
Prices: Starting from S$325 for 10pcs of hairy crab (male)
Delivery: Free delivery with minimum order of S$45
Order here
Bite of SG
bite of sg hairy crab (source: bite of sg)
Bite of SG was originally started as a social media and content creation company for the Chinese market to showcase top eats in Singapore. Specially for this season, they are dipping their toes in the food business as well and are selling hairy crab due to their connections with Mainland China.
They sell their crabs as a bundle of 8pcs, importing them from China twice a week.
Prices: S$208 for bundle of 8pcs live crabs
Delivery: Free with minimum S$45
Order here
Hairy Crab Restaurant Menus
Jia Wei
steamed hairy crab at jia wei
Jia Wei at Grand Mercure Singapore Roxy presents a well-rounded limited time menu featuring two types of crabs. What I like about their offering this year is that they doesn’t stray too far from the essence of the hairy crab. The Hairy Crab Steamed with Shiso Leaf is a mainstay from previous years. Their seasonal menu is further supplemented by mud crab dishes such as Creamy Salted Egg Crab and Steamed Crab with Glutinous Rice.
Prices: Market price
Dates: Now until 13th November 2022
Book here
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I’ve never seen these hairy crabs before, but they look like they’d be fun to try. I mostly stick to Alaskan snow crab and, for special occasions, king crab. Crab of any kind is really good. Thanks for sharing!