Your Ultimate Guide to Xiaolongxia: How, Where, and When to Eat Them
Come the warmer months, one sound in particular rings out from thousands of restaurants around Beijing: the swift cracking crayfish shells. Beijing diners have developed a taste for these traditionally southern shellfish, known in Chinese as xiaolongxia, over the past decade or so, creating a huge market that sees the best crayfish being shifted north from watery areas such as Hubei and Jiangsu in the millions during the height of the summer. Crayfish can, of course, be cultivated all year round but May-July is the best time to enjoy them.
The preparation du jour sees xiaolongxia cooked in a mala broth laced with chilis and mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorns that contrasts with the mild, sweet flavor of the xiaolongxia themselves. Restaurants usually offer several different sizes/grades of crayfish, priced per item, with a minimum order of at least ten. Guijie is usually the go-to dining destination for these spiny beauties – you’ll be able to smell it a mile off – but there are restaurants serving crayfish all over town.
Check our guide to how and where to eat this summer delicacy.
How to eat xiaolongxia
Look, eating xiaolongxia is not a delicate activity. Most restaurants that serve them will offer you a bib, plastic gloves, and a mountain of moist towelettes, which should be your first clue as to how messy you’re going to get. But we say ditch the gloves and get in there with your (hopefully freshly washed) bare hands; the shells are so sharp that they often go straight through the gloves anyway. This may not (or may, we’re not here to judge) make xiaolongxia a good choice for say, a first date.
- Hold the crayfish with the head in your strongest hand and the tail in the other, between your thumb and index finger.
- Do the twist and snap: pull the head away from the tail with a slight twisting motion.
- Pinch and flex the tail all over to crack and loosen the shell.
- Peel back the shell starting from the wide part of the tail. You’ll probably need to start by pulling off the shell a bit at a time but once you get the hang of it you should be able to pull out the tail meat in one piece.
- Pull out the meat (de-vein if needed) and enjoy!
Where to eat xiaolongxia: Five top picks
Huda
Guijie’s Huda is the ne plus ultra of restaurants that serve xiaolongxia, attracting more than 20,000 reviews on Dianping. You can choose from a range of different sizes of crayfish, all at different price points (from around RMB 5-15, with a minimum order of 10), which then come served in an intensely spiced sauce with chilies, Sichuan peppercorns, and not an inconsiderable amount of oil. If you go, be prepared to queue outside with the crowds for at least a couple of hours, especially on weekends and public holidays – we recommend taking a few beers along to pass the time and enjoy the rich people-watching opportunities that present themselves.
Hua’s Restaurant
Another popular Guijie restaurant, Hua’s may be best known for its Peking duck but come summer its xiaolongxia bring in the crowds, too. Like other restaurants, Hua’s offers a range of different xiaolongxia dishes, including the standard mala preparation and one that uses a blend of 13 different fragrant spices. The advantage Hua’s has over other similar restaurants is its old Beijing-style courtyard setting, perfect for summer evenings (note that Hua’s has several other branches around the city).
Shaoxiashi
Trendy Gongti restaurant Shaoxiashi is clearly aimed at the millennial crowd, with its prime location, pop art menu, and on-trend "factory chic" décor. Their signature 13-flavor crayfish are cooked with – you guessed it – a blend of 13 different spices to produce a mildly hot dish that marks a pleasant departure from the usual mouth-searing mala. Wash the crayfish down with a range of imported and local beers, including Panda Brew and Liefmans.
Crayfish Party
This cool little restaurant on Ju'er Hutong adds a bit of style to the crayfish eating experience. The glassed-in courtyard, colorful murals, and slick wooden seating are more reminiscent of a trendy cocktail bar than a restaurant serving what is essentially a street food. Crayfish Party offers a couple of different styles of xiaolongxia, all priced at RMB 298, including chilled xiaolongxia marinated in huadiao (a type of yellow rice wine) – perfect for hot summer days.
Hema
If you’d prefer to eat xiaolongxia in the comfort of your own home (all the better to get really messy, to be honest) then Alibaba’s supermarket concept Hema has got you covered. In what is surely one of Beijing’s best deals, Hema will deliver 1.5kg of xiaolongxia (available in mala or 13-spice flavors) to your door for just RMB 100 – plus you can order the rest of your groceries at the same time. Sources praise the quality and freshness of Hema’s xiaolongxia, as well as their reliable delivery service. Search for Hema or 盒马 on the app store of your choice to download the app.
Speaking of clickity-clackity foods, Red Lobster is already clawing its way into Beijingers’ hearts.
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Photos: HelloRF ZCool, Creative Family, Dazhong Dianping
