We’ll admit it: hairy crab isn’t the most accessible dish in the world. It’s messy and it takes coaching to eat it right. But this year, instead of putting the season to the back of your mind, jump in the deep end and get the full experience. Read up on the basics, then plan a trip out to the place where all real hairy crabs originate from–Yangcheng Lake. On its shores you’ll find the Fairmont Yangcheng Lake Hotel, the perfect place to sample the real thing. There, you know you’ll get the absolute best hairy crab stock. Their crabs are pulled from the lake daily, with a freshness any amateur can verify at first taste, and once you get cracking―popping open the shell to suck back the prized, delicately creamy roe, snapping apart the body to get at the biggest chunks of the meat and dipping in vinegar as you go–you’ll have a better appreciation for why these delicacies are legendary in Shanghai. There’s no need to be shy―locals make a mess of it too, and though they may be better at sucking out the last bits of meat, you can’t go wrong if you simply attack the crab with real gusto.

DETAILS

What: Fairmont Yangcheng Lake

Where: No. 3668 West Ma’anshan Road Kunshan

Tel: (512) 5780-0888

Web: www.fairmont.com/yangchenglake

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