Nipping you in the buds

Xie Lao Song became famous for its "fragrant and spicy crab". The restaurant chain from Wuhan opened its first store in Beijing seven years ago and now has five outlets in the capital. The cuisine is actually from Hubei, which is known for the fresh fish and shrimps from its numerous rivers and lakes.

The crab restaurant is now running a Crab Festival until October 28. Specialties include Yangtze River long-snout catfish pot and, of course, its famous "fragrant and spicy crab". The spicy pots are ready when served but when most has been eaten, the soup can be used for more hot-pot foods, like mushrooms and other vegetables.

The crabs used are Burmese dark green crabs, which are medium-sized, strong and fleshy. The crabs are cleaned thoroughly, deep-fried, fried with spring onion and ginger, before being put into the pot for serving. The cooking process guarantees a rich taste is permeated into the crabmeat. The hot-pot soup is made with a recipe consisting of 20 herbs and seasoning ingredients. It is spicy and tasty, but not so strong that it numbs the tongue! King crabs and river crabs are also available but you need to order these in advance. Crabs from Yangchenghu Lake are steamed.