Nansha Blue Crab ready to hit the market

Located in Guangzhou's Nansha district, Longxue Island held a blue crab harvest festival as well as a 10-course cooking competition on Sept 13. The event aimed to provide visitors with the opportunity to celebrate the harvest season while indulging in seafood delicacies.

"I bought 12 blue crabs for 500 yuan ($69) today, the price is quite favorable. I usually come to Longxue Island to buy crabs before and after the Mid-Autumn Festival. As long as they are steamed, they taste very fresh," said a satisfied citizen.

According to the staff of a crab company, the island currently has an abundant yield of blue crab this season. Steaming is the most suitable way to cook the crabs, as it maximizes and retains the crab's fresh taste.

The main area for cultivating blue crabs is concentrated near the estuary of the Pearl River and nearby Lingdingyang. These crabs are raised in brackish water with a constant salinity level ranging from 2 to 12 percent. This allows them to develop a high protein content.

The cultivation area of Nansha crabs in places like Longxue Island and the Wanqingsha area exceeds 13,000 mu (867 hectares), with an annual yield of nearly 4,000 metric tons and a value exceeding 1 billion yuan.

In 2022, Nansha's blue crab was selected for the national list of special and new agricultural products, becoming a golden agricultural brand in Nansha.

Steamed blue crab. [Photo/WeChat account: nanshafabu]