As the west wind blows and the crabs' claws itch, it's the golden season for crab roe. Now is the best time to eat hairy crabs, but there is an art to it. From selecting and identifying good quality authentic crabs to various cooking methods like steaming, boiling, frying, and stir-frying, and the many techniques for savoring them, there is much to learn. Moreover, for healthy crab consumption, it is especially important to note the four taboos to prevent "illness from the mouth." 1. Do not eat dead crabs
In a dead crab, parasitic bacteria multiply and spread into the meat, causing proteins to break down and produce histamine. The longer the crab has been dead, the more histamine accumulates in its body, and the more toxic it becomes. Even if cooked thoroughly, the toxins are not easily destroyed, and consumption can lead to nausea, vomiting, flushed cheeks, and a rapid heartbeat. 2. Do not eat raw or drunken crabs
Hairy crabs live in the mud ditches of rivers and lake bottoms and often feed on animal carcasses, so they contain various pathogenic microorganisms. Especially high is the infection rate of their lungs with *Paragonimus* metacercariae, which are highly resistant and cannot be killed by simply marinating in yellow wine or baijiu. Eating raw or drunken crabs can easily induce paragonimiasis, causing coughing and hemoptysis (coughing up blood). If the parasites enter the brain, it can also lead to paralysis. 3. Do not eat the stomach and internal organs
Not every part of a hairy crab is edible. Before eating, you must perform the "four cleans": first, clean the crab stomach, which is a small, triangular, bony package located in the center front of the carapace, containing dirty sand; second, clean the crab intestine, which is a black line running from the crab stomach to the crab's navel; third, clean the crab heart, which is a hexagonal shape located under a black membrane in the center of the crab; fourth, clean the crab gills, which are the two soft, eyebrow-like structures located on the crab's abdomen, also known as "crab tripe." These four parts are both dirty and have no edible value. Eating them indiscriminately can easily cause food poisoning. 4. Do not eat with strong tea, persimmons, or beer
Foods like strong tea and persimmons contain a large amount of tannic acid. When combined with protein, they can coagulate to form "bezoars," leading to abdominal pain and vomiting. Beer is considered "cold" in nature. If you drink beer with crab, it adds "coldness upon coldness," which can easily cause diarrhea. Therefore, it is best to serve crab with "warming" alcoholic beverages like yellow wine or baijiu.
According to experts, hairy crabs are highly nutritious, rich in protein, amino acids, calcium, iron, selenium, zinc, potassium, vitamin A, B vitamins, etc. They help promote the repair and synthesis of human tissue cells and boost the immune system.
In addition, the "Complete Book of Chinese Medicinal Animals" and some traditional Chinese medicine classics also detail that crabs have effects such as clearing heat and detoxifying, resolving lumps and dispelling stasis, relieving pain and clearing stagnation, regulating menstruation and unblocking the meridians, nourishing yin and strengthening the stomach, and strengthening the body and bones. They are also said to have certain therapeutic effects for conditions like blood stasis, injury, jaundice, lumbar and leg pain, and rheumatoid arthritis. Crab meat can also be used to treat infant malnutrition, mastitis, and insufficient milk production in postpartum women, while its shell can treat postpartum uterine contractions and injuries from falls.