Taihu Lake Crabs?? [Photo from wuxinews.com.cn]

October is the right season to eat crabs which are of mature flesh.

Though crab from Yangcheng Lake near Suzhou is the most popular in China now, Taihu Lake crabs used to be almost on par. Fishermen cast down nets near caves inhabited by crabs on the bottom of the lake and turn on lights in the evening. Crabs which are of photo kinesis move out of their caves and into the nets.

Around Yuqi Town, Fulong Lake and Xilong Pond, there are a big-sized species of crabs that are yellow on the shell and white on the claws. These crabs are more delicate than that in Taihu Lake.

The price of lake crabs is much higher than common crabs. Unfortunately, due to water pollution and overfishing, this species of crab has already disappeared in lakes.

In Wuxi, crabs in the Yangtz River are also available in the market. The small sized crab is called Iron Rust Crabs for dark stripes on the abdomen. They are usually fried with sauce.