Spring is simply delicious

Hairy-crab soup dumpling is a 'must-try' dish popular in Gaochun, Jiangsu province. [Photo by Jiang Ghunjing/China Daily]

In spring, Gaochun in Jiangsu province is not only a perfect place to escape the hustle and bustle in major cities, but also a seasonal magnet for gourmets.

The hairy crabs from Gucheng Lake, a freshwater lake in Gaochun, are one of the most coveted ingredients. The lake's clear water, abundant insects and grasses provide an ideal environment for the crab to grow. In 1999, Gaochun owned China's first certificate for producing organic crab. The hairy crabs of the lake boast good quality with silky, egg-yolk orange crab roe.

The hairy crab, also known as the Chinese mitten crab, is named for its furry glove-like large pincers. It is customary to eat them with Chinese yellow wine, and dip in a sauce made of rice vinegar and ginger.

Steamed is the simplest and most traditional way to enjoy the crab. Crab eating is quite a delicate operation. With the help of different tools, maybe you can eat crab without cracking the exoskeleton.

Among the many pastries of the area, soft fragrant pastry is one of the most famous. It tastes like peppermint and lotus because peppermint juice is added to the rice flour to make the delicacy and it is served on a food steamer decorated with fresh lotus leaf. The pastry has been loved by the locals for more than 300 years.

Hairy-crab soup dumpling is another 'must-try' of the area. The dumpling, with its fillings made of minced pork, crab meat and roe, has a very thin wrapper and plenty of tasty soup. It looks like a flower with a bit of crab roe placed on top of each dumpling.

Unlike another kind of soup dumpling in China, which requires a straw to finish the soup inside first, you can dip this dumpling in vinegar and eat it directly to enjoy the burst of soup in your mouth.

Dried tofu curd in Gaochun is also famous for its delicious flavor. The tofu curd is made locally of fine soy beans, and crafted in a process with more than 10 steps. Gaochun dried tofu curd has two categories: fragrant and smelly.

While many people enjoy the pleasant smell of fragrant tofu curd, which is usually fried with vegetables, locals really prefer the smelly one with its unique flavor.

Zhu Jingwen contributed to this story.