Despite the growing popularity and availability of hairy crabs, one of China’s most sought-after delicacies, both consumers and sellers face challenges with product quality and imitation goods in the market
While crab dishes are a traditional must-have for many during the Lunar New Year, which falls at the end of January this year, Fang Yuan, a self-described crab lover, had her last morsel in early December after her only two trusted online sellers wrapped up their operations of the year.
“Most stores had quality issues or shortchanged the weight to some extent,” says the 32-year-old from Nanjing, capital of eastern China’s Jiangsu province, who has had a hard time buying her favorite food—Chinese mitten crabs, also known as hairy crabs, or 大闸蟹 (dàzháxiè)—online. Even buying from high-rated sellers recommended by the platforms had been a hit-and-miss experience. Fang recalls that once the string used to tie the crabs accounted for over one-third of their advertised weight; another time, all the crabs were dead, and therefore inedible, upon arrival.
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