In 2013, it was discovered that Chinese mitten crabs had spread throughout rivers in Germany. The crabs had caused losses of up to 80 million euros as they damaged fishing nets, hunted other fish and played a role in damaging dams. Thus, the only solution was to sell these crabs in local Chinese restaurants. Chinese mitten crab, also known as 大闸蟹 (dà zhá xiè), is a common delicacy in East Asia and has been present in Chinese diet for thousands of years. The crabs are best eaten in late autumn - when the Chinese believe that the crabs are both the fattest and meatiest. These 'hairy' crabs are usually cooked with shallots, vinegar and ginger and are both delicious and visually appealing. During autumn, the scent of hairy crabs permeates throughout villages - enticing a student to come back home after being buried in books the entire day. But this is not the only way the Chinese enjoy crab. The most famous Chinese crab dish is simple steamed crab and is considered the purest way to enjoy a crab's flavor. After the crab is cooked to a bright red color, the legs are removed one by one, vinegar is added, and chopsticks are used to delve into the leg meat. However, great care is taken to ensure that the crab's internal organs are not ripped and to prevent the inside of the crab from leaking out. For Chinese foodies like myself, it is terrible to hear that Europeans are trying to wipe out crabs from their rivers. Perhaps a better way to tackle this problem is to send more Chinese foodies to those 'crab-infested' countries, and let us do the rest. This article was written by Emma Tao. Send an email to [email protected] to get in touch. Photo Credit: Marjorie Wang