GAO ERQIANG/CHINA DAILY

However, it was not until the country reopened its doors to the world in the 1980s that hairy crabs, like other luxury items, became widely available again. That's when the restaurant made the hairy crab a regular item on the menu and created 10 dishes around it, soon earning itself the title of "the ancestors of wine and the king of crabs".

"We are the first in China to offer a crab feast," claims chef Wang, who started his apprenticeship at the restaurant in 1981.

Following Wang Bao He's success in incorporating hairy crabs into its menus, similar dining establishments soon spawned. In 1991, Shanghai's Xin Guang restaurant became the first specialized hairy crab establishment in China. A decade later, Fujian native Ke Wei set up Cheng Long Hang, which today is known as the largest hairy crab restaurant chain in the country.