Colorful Dish Of Small Crabs And Pieces Of Melon, On Table In Restaurant In China.

When Wen was entertaining members of his family and some friends by having dinner together at a popular restaurant in his hometown, it was a happy occasion for everyone. The dishes of food that were brought to the table looked too good to eat for they were like works-of-art formed with fruit, fish, meat and vegetables. Wen was himself a cook so he was interested in the presentation, but perhaps more interested in the texture and taste of the food when eaten.

One of the dishes served was of crab, but the surprise was that it was presented with slices of melon piled up in the center of the plate, with the small crabs arranged around the sides of the plate. Whether this was the usual way of serving the crab in this part of China is unknown, but the dish was certainly enjoyed by Wen's guests, so he was happy about that.

During a visit to some friends in Beijing we had cooked crabs as a dish prepared for our evening meal. These particular crabs were somewhat special, going under the name of ''hairy crabs''! They were said to be freshwater crabs and available during a part of the year, being somewhat more expensive than the more abundant seawater crab. We were enjoying our dinner when suddenly a friend stood up from the table and shouted something puzzling. It transpired that he had seen a live crab that had escaped from the fridge, scambling across the floor! He chased and caught the crab and returned it to its container, ready for a meal on another day. The escaping crab is now a topic of conversation whenever we meet!

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Small Crabs And Pieces Of Melon, A Colorful Dish In Chinese Restaurant.