Crayfish or Xiaolongxia in Shanghai 2025

Crayfish season usually means the abundance of this food in Chinese cuisine. The most traditional recipe is when Crayfish is served with chilli sauce. In a restaurant, tourists will be provided with special gloves to eat crayfish and given a lot of sauces to choose from. Local diners are less fancy but obviously cheaper. Usually, the crayfish is accompanied with cold beer, which is extremely desirable during the summer heat.

Although crayfish are sold in restaurants throughout the year, they say the best time to get a plate of crayfish is June to September when they are at their fattest and are most abundant in the area.