The first batch of about 100 kilograms of hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake - an area renowned for growing the best crabs in China - arrived in local stores yesterday.

While most crabs raised in the lake aren't mature yet, some were rushed to the city to meet demand ahead of the upcoming Mid-Autumn Festival on Sunday.

Consumers can order the crabs at local convenience stores like All Days, Lawson and Kedi, but the supply is limited.

The current wholesale price is 270 yuan (US$33) a kilogram for male crabs weighing more than 200 grams each and female crabs weighing more than 150 grams. Early in the crab season, the female crustaceans are considered better than males, although that changes later in the year when gourmets prefer the male crabs.

"Because most of the hairy crabs haven't become mature at present, we only allowed a few crabs that matured early to enter the market. Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs will arrive in the market in large quantities after September 20," said Yang Weilong, director of the Suzhou Yangcheng Lake Hairy Crab Trade Association.

The first batch of crabs have all undergone strict inspections. Each of the hairy crabs from Yangcheng Lake is fitted with an anti-counterfeit ring containing a serial number.

Buyers can send a cell phone short message to the association to see if the crabs they are buying are real or counterfeit, as many crab farmers sell crustaceans raised in other parts of the country as Yangcheng Lake crabs in order to charge a higher price.

Several other anti-counterfeit technologies have been used over the past two years, but none have proven successful.

Yang suggests consumers wait until October to buy hairy crabs, when they will be fully mature.

(Source: www.shanghai.gov.cn )