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Wanli fishermen use “crab cages” to lure and trap crab. It is the least intrusive crabbing method which is also ecologically protective to marine life. There are three funneled entrances where crab craw in in search of the lures which are fish parts stored in the lure box inside the cage. The cages sit on the bottom of the sea for more than ten hours waiting for the crab to surrender themselves before the fishermen retrieve the cages.

Since Wanli Crab can not be detected using modern technology, it has to depend on the fishermen's experiences and expertise to drop the crab cages in the big ocean. The fishermen will then wait patiently and wishing they could be fortunate enough for a good catch.

For long-term sustain, starting April, 2014, crab fishermen can only catch and sell Wanli Crab that is larger than 7cm (for Stone Crab) or 9cm (for the other two) by measuring the far-ends of the crab's back-shell. In addition, during August 1 and December 31, all hatching crab must be released to the sea. All crab caught, displayed, possessed, and sold must have their abdominal flaps intact between August 1 and December 31.

Flower Crab (Charybdis feriatus)

The flower crab is easily identifiable with its splendid orange outfit and the cross-like color marks on its shell. 

With that luxurious color tone and the largest body-build among all 3 kinds of Wanli Crab, the meaty Flower Crab is extremely popular amongst gourmet consumers. Therefore its selling price is twice more expensive than the other two.

The Flower Crab's delicate and tender crab meat and its salty, creamy crab roe are very tasty even  when it is simply steamed or water-boiled.

However, it is also a perfect match with eggs. For example, dishes such as the “Osmanthus Flower Crab” (stir-fried onions, beaten egg, and Flower Crab ) and the “Steamed Egg with Flower Crab Meat” are both visual and taste buds enjoyable.

The Flower Crab is available all-year-round in the seafood restaurants at the coastal New Taipei City areas. They are at their best during the Dragon Boat Festival weeks and the Fall to Winter months (September ~ December).

3-Spot Crab (Portunus sanguinolentus、red-spotted swimming crab)

The 3-Spot Crab gets its name for the 3 obvious dark purple-red spots on its olive-green shell when alive. It is Wanli fishermen's most favorite crab due to its salty and extremely tender and juicy crab meat.

One can taste sea-flavors all condensed in just one bite of the 3-Spot Crab meat. No dipping sauce is needed to enjoy the 3-Spot Crab.

The 3-Spot Crab in the autumn is at its peak with lots of salty meat and golden crab roe. Since it is less expensive than the Flower Crab therefore it offers the best value for the money.

The shell of the 3-Spot Crab is soft and thin so it is easy to break with no hassle using crackers or other tools to get to the meat. This thin shell feature makes it perfect for stir-fried or deep-fried dishes.

Either way it is easy to be seasoned and become crispy. For example the very famous Yeliu specialty ~ “Stir-fired Sha-Cha Crab,” or the “Fried Crab with Chili” are both perfect 3-Spot Crab dishes. The 3-Spot Crab is at its best from the end of August to December.

Stone Crab (Charybdis natator)

The Stone Crab has granular thrusts all over its dark brown back shell that makes it looked like a rough stone, hence the name. It is the smallest in size of all three.

But under the ugly hardshell there hides delicious crab meat so full of characters that once eaten, it is hard to forget. One might fall in love with it and becomes a fan.

The Stone Crab is most famous for its two meaty clams. Some restaurants bake the clam meat together with butter and sautéed onion. This “Buttery Crab Clam” dish can even be found at some night markets.

Due to its rich flavor, the Stone Crab is ideal for fishermen's cooking of hot pot, miso-siru (Japanese miso soup), and noodle soup where the soup gets the sweetness from the crab meat.

The Stone Crab season ranges from the second-half of October to January. It is the least expensive Wanli Crab comparing with Flower Crab and 3-Spot Crab.

1. Choose which kind of Wanli Crab you want to try from the water tanks in the seafood restaurant. Count one crab for each person as a rule-of-thumb.
2. Have the restaurant people measure the crab and quote the total price of the dish-to-be. Pick a smaller crab if the quoted price exceeds your budget.
3. Pick the crab recipe you like. Restaurants normally will not charge extra for the ingredients beside the crab itself. However if the crab was brought in to the restaurant from somewhere else then the restaurant will charge extra for preparing the dish.
4. Wanli Crab prices varied according to seasonality, species, & market supply. Shortage can happen if weather forbids the fishermen to go crabbing.

List of Recommended Wanli Crab Seafood Restaurants*

Yeliu Fishing Port▼

Wanli District▼

Guihou Fishing Port▼

Fuji Fishing Port▼

Aodi Fishing Port & Fulong▼

Shen Ao Fishing Port▼

Bitou Fishing Port▼

Shuiwei Fishing Port in Jinshan District▼

Shimen District▼

Sanzhi District▼

* Hours and crab availability might change. Kindly please verify with restaurants beforehand.

Wanli Crab only includes the Flower Crab, the 3-Spot Crab, and the Stone Crab. All other crabs are not Wanli Crab.

All live Wanli Crab are tied-up with a neon-green cord representing they are the catches of Wanli crab-fishermen.

Seafood restaurants with flags or posters carrying the Wanli Crab logo (a crab-resemblant “Wan” character) are those certified and recommended by the New Taipei City Government. In there one can order and enjoy reasonably-priced gourmet Wanli Crab dishes.

Click here for the recommended Wanli Crab restaurant list.

The northern coastal area of Taiwan is closest to the Wanli Crab fisheries therefore Wanli Crab is available all-year-round. The New Taipei City Government has coached and recommended 36 seafood restaurants where people can enjoy reasonably-priced Wanli Crab dishes. Each of these 36 restaurants also has at least two of its own creative Wanli Crab recipes. People are encouraged to give the creative Wanli Crab dishes a try to experience the versatile tastes of the Wanli Crab.

Three ports: Yeliu, Guihou, & Fuji are especially recommended as they are the major Wanli Crab fishermen's working harbor. The restaurants there also offer Wanli Crab dishes using authentic fishermen's recipes. They are worthy of trying.

Click here for the seafood restaurant list.

Wanli Crab(萬里蟹) includes three kinds of sea-crabs which are Flower Crab, 3-Spot Crab, & Stone Crab.

These three are the most abundant Taiwan sea-crab species and they are the most popular ones amongst Taiwan consumers as well. These crabs were caught mostly by the skillful crab-fishermen from the Wanli District in New Taipei City, which made Wanli naturally the top live sea-crab distribution center. In order to advocate the sea-crabbing culture and to pay respect to the hardworking and couraeous crab-fishermen, the New Taipei City government established the “Wanli Crab” brand (referencing the Western food-origin concepts and systems) in 2012.

Different from the imported King Crab, Shanghai Hairy Crab, Dungeness Crab, and farm-raised mud crabs, Wanli Crab is Taiwan-originated sea-crab which is wild, non-polluted, natural, and fully sea-flavored. The full-bodied crab meat, delicate and tender, is ideal for various culinary usages.

Comparing with farm-raised Shanghai hairy crab and mud crab, Wanli Crab's meat and roe are both extremely rich in sea flavor and requires no condiments or dipping sauces for taste enhancement. The sea flavor is especially distinct when the Wanli Crab is eaten cold. While the mud crab, with its apparent muddy taste, has no competence with the Wanli Crab.

The Northwest Fishery* outside of New Taipei City is the main crabbing zone for Wanli Crab, which generates more than 80% of Taiwan's annual supply of live sea-crab for island-wide restaurants and sea-food markets. The seaside areas of New Taipei City are all ideal Wanli Crab gourmet tour routes. Yeliu, Guihou, and Fuji fishing ports are especially popular as the seafood restaurants there provide fresh live Wanli Crab all-year-round.

* The Northwest Fishery is located within the east-bound of 120°40'e and the south of 26°n.

▼The Northwest Fishery ▼