Wuhan and the surrounding Jianghan Plain are the centre of the Chinese crayfish industry, and xiaolongxia — the freshwater crayfish dish boiled with chilli, garlic, and thirteen-spice mixes — is the city's defining summer obsession. Restaurants serve them by the kilogram, with plastic gloves provided, paired with cold beer.
Most of the night-food streets in Hankou (Jiqing Street, Zhima Road) have several xiaolongxia specialists. Try Liyuan Crayfish or Mantou Lou for the classic Wuhan-style spicy crayfish. The season runs roughly May to September; outside that, prices climb and quality drops. The point is not just the eating, which can be slow and messy, but the sitting-around-a-table-with-beer-for-three-hours ritual that comes with it.