For many Chinese gourmands, the end of autumn is all about hairy crabs (so called for their fuzzy claws used to burrow into the muddy lake bed). The best crabs, and indeed the most expensive, come from Yangcheng Lake, a freshwater lake in rural Jiangsu famous for the best mud-loving, fuzz-covered, many-fingered friends.

You may have thought 'How am I supposed to eat these little guys?' or 'Should I eat the orange stuff?' and 'Why am I carrying around a box of crabs?' (you lucky dog, you).

Don't fret. Despite the apparent challenges that accompany noshing on these seasonal treats, tricking your way through a pile of crabs doesn't have to take an age (although that's half the fun). Here are our top tips to picking your way through this year's hairy crab harvest like a pro.

1. Choose your crab

The females are larger, but it’s the males that are really in their prime this season. Make sure it’s lively; look for crabs that are foaming slightly and offer signs of movement.

2. Once it’s been steamed

After it's cooked, flip your crab over and crack open the flap on the crab’s belly (oval for females, triangular for males) to expose the bright orange roe inside. Remove the gills – you can’t eat them, they're nasty – and the pale heart.

3. Crack it

Crack the body of the crab in half and you’ll expose more roe. You can eat this as it is, but we suggest mixing it with the traditional accompaniment of ginger and vinegar.

4. Next up are the legs

If you don’t want to risk losing your dentures by cracking the legs open with your teeth you can flag down a waiter for a crab cracker, or simply use a pair of scissors.

To get to all the meaty goodness inside, you can try sucking on the legs, or use the scissors or another crab leg to push it out.

Got it? Good. Hairy crabs are a seasonal treat best enjoyed in a group over a long lunch or dinner – with plenty of wine to distract from what is a genuinely difficult food to eat.

Source: timeoutbeijing.com