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Yangcheng Lake and its Crab
As is known to all Chinese, crab from Yang Cheng Lake is the most famous and finest one among all the freshwater crabs. There is an old saying in China, when the chrysanthemum turns yellow, it is the crab season in Tai Lake river basin. Every year, after the Mid-autumn, fresh plump Yang-Cheng crabs appear on the markets in large quantities, adding to the dining-boards another delicious throughout Yangtze river Delta.
Yang cheng Lake lies in the northeast of Suzhou, traversing the cities of Wu Xian, Chang shu and Kun shan. It covers an area of some 80 square li. The clear water and abundant insects and grasses provide an excellent environment for the crabs. Crab is a kind of migration fish. It stays in freshwater lakes before September. About a fortnight after the crabs cast their shells in September comes the mating and spawning season. At this time they would crawl eastward to the juncture of the Yangtze River and the sea, thus making an annual crabbing season. The waterways in Kun shan city east to Yang cheng Lake are the only way of these migration crabs, so the place there becomes the main crabbing area. Each year during the period of September and October, the fishermen go there crabbing with nets, fishing grates, baskets, and even bamboo poles, making a scenery bustling with excitement.
After shelling, you will see the white jade of grease and the snow-white flesh. Going with wine or ford, the crab tastes delicious and is nutritious enough. Dishes made with crabs not only stay at the top of the menu in domestic hotels and restaurants but enjoy great popularity in Hong Kong, Macao and overseas markets.
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