Crabs

A dish of steamed hairy crabs. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

Autumn is the best time to savor crabs. And nobody can resist the fresh and sweet crabs with creamy yellow roe and a fragrant aroma.

Steamed hairy crabs, drunken crabs with rice wine, fried crabs with garlic and chili and spicy crabs are popular among residents in Rugao. Crab roe buns and crab roe fish balls are special Rugao delicacies that are popular among residents.

Rugao has 36 crab farms with a total area of about 4,600 mu (306.67 hectares). The largest farm covers an area of 780 mu and is located in Siyu village, Jiuhua town. It produces about 70 metric tons of crabs per year, with a sales revenue of more than 6 million yuan ($819,909).

Mutton

A bowl of noodles with mutton. [Photo/WeChat account: rugaofabu]

When the weather gets cold, mutton is another popular choice among Rugao people.

Most of the mutton in Rugao restaurants comes from fresh local goats, with a delicious taste and no smell. The mutton soup base is thick and white, with a rich aroma that makes people drool.