Crayfish announced as China's favorite dish of 2017

China's favorite dish in 2017 was crayfish, said a food consumption report by the China Cuisine Association (CCA).

The report said sales revenue in China's catering industry surpassed 3.9 trillion yuan ($607 billion) last year.

It said savory flavors were most popular among Chinese consumers in 2017, as they were favored by 23.3 percent. The spicy food ranked second, with 17.2 percent.

Crayfish, or "little lobster" in Chinese, was the most popular dish, based on a list of the top 10 most-ordered dishes on Chinese consumer app Meituan-Dianping.

Crayfish appears to satisfy the culture of Yexiao, a late night meal commonly referred to as supper in the West while the dish is believed to help improve social interaction, as customers need to wear gloves to peel so as to enjoy the freshwater delicacy.

Other popular dishes that also made the list include steak, roast duck, sushi, pickled fish, Chaoshan beef hot pot, rice noodles, ramen, Spicy Incense Pot and fried chicken.