Hairy crabs cheaper in Shenzhen but some still prefer to buy them in HK

Wallis Wang

Some Hongkongers cross the border to buy hairy crabs in Shenzhen, where 10 pieces sell for only 100 yuan (HK$109.33).

Sellers claim the crabs are fresh, of high quality and directly shipped from Jiangsu - the origin of the popular autumn delicacy. They also say each crab comes with an anti-counterfeit label, though it is inconvenient to place it on the crab itself.

At a wet market near Liantang port, sellers try to attract Hong Kong customers by saying crabs weighing 3.0 to 3.5 taels only cost around 20 yuan each, while 10 pieces of the 2.8-tael crabs could be bought for 100 yuan.

In contrast, a 3.0-tael crab costs HK$50 to HK$70 in Hong Kong.

A Sing Tao Probe report, however, found that the crabs in Shenzhen have less meat and crab roe. Some buyers do not mind.

"The hairy crabs in the mainland are tasty and cheap and I come here to buy them all the time," a Hongkonger surnamed Wong said.

But a man, Ma, said he preferred to buy them in Hong Kong as "there may be hygiene issues" in crabs in Shenzhen.

A woman also said it is safer to buy crabs in Hong Kong because they are inspected by the Centre for Food Safety.

The director of local seller Wing Fu Food, Chan Kam-fai, said local merchants have seen a 30 percent drop in business due to the trend of Hongkongers heading north.

Chan said prices in Hong Kong are higher due to complex procedures, including three inspections. First they are inspected in Jiangsu before being sent to South Korea for a second inspection as Hong Kong and the mainland have not reached a consensus on the standard, he said. The crabs will then be examined by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department upon arriving in Hong Kong.

wallis.wang@singtaonewscorp.com