At the table
Take small spoonfuls of the cooked crab mixture and let them cool. Set aside any shell fragments. If crisp pastry is served alongside, eat it with the crab or separately as you prefer.
Contains crab, a crustacean shellfish. Some versions use pork fat, chicken stock or rice wine; an accompanying pastry may contain wheat and sesame. Check the full recipe for allergies or dietary restrictions. Small shell fragments may remain.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Hairy crab is a typical choice. Lard or aromatic oil, rice wine and sometimes chicken broth are used; some versions thicken the mixture slightly or serve it with crisp pastry.
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Rich, sweet-savory crab with ginger and wine aromas.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Soft flakes of crab in a moist, rich mixture.
- How it’s made
- Cook the crabs, pick out the meat and roe, then gently stir in a pan with aromatics and a little liquid.
Hairy crab is a typical choice. Lard or aromatic oil, rice wine and sometimes chicken broth are used; some versions thicken the mixture slightly or serve it with crisp pastry.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Shanghai.
About this regional connection
Shanghai: Associated with Shanghai Benbang cooking.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有清炒蟹粉吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
The patient work behind xiefen
Xiefen is not a dry powder: it combines picked crab meat with the rich yellow-orange parts of the crab. The work starts before the pan, with cooking the crabs and carefully separating the edible parts from the shells. Ginger and sometimes lard add aroma, while gentle stirring keeps the mixture moist. Some preparations pair it with crisp sesame pastry, contrasting the soft crab with a crunchy bite.