Lake Tai's hairy crabs (zhonghua mitten crabs) are among the most celebrated in China, though most people associate the delicacy specifically with Yangcheng Lake near Suzhou. The Taihu variety is less famous but often considered by local cooks to be equally good — the shallow, weedy lake provides ideal conditions, and the crabs raised in the reed beds around the southern shore are harvested from late September through November.
During the season, the restaurants around Turtle Head Isle and the lakeside parks turn their menus over almost entirely to crab. A steamed female crab, heavy with golden roe, is eaten with a small set of specialized tools — tiny scissors, picks, a spoon — accompanied by a dipping sauce of black vinegar and shredded ginger. It is slow, fiddly, and entirely worth the effort. Male crabs are served from November onward, when their white fat has developed. Reserve a table in advance on weekends during peak season.