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
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$283.10 for 10pcs female hairy crabs (150grams per piece)
Delivery: Free delivery with minimum order of S$45
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
