Innovation sustains Beijing's winter crayfish palate

As the first snow of the season recently blanketed Beijing's streets, the bustling restaurants of Sanlitun and Guijie Street were filled with the aroma of crayfish doused in chili oil and garlic.

Thanks to an agricultural breakthrough in Qianjiang, Hubei province, diners can now enjoy fresh crayfish — a dish traditionally reserved for summer — even in North China's winter.

"I didn't expect to eat such authentic Qianjiang crayfish in winter. Beijing diners are truly lucky," said Yang Zhansheng, founder of Beijing catering company The Home, at a recent tasting event in Sanlitun.

"In the past, if you wanted fresh crayfish in winter, the supply was either cut off or the price was high," said Wang Zhongwei, a culinary research and development director at COFCO Group, China's the largest food processing company. "Now, 'crayfish freedom' has been realized year-round," Wang added.

Through innovations in aquaculture technology, the hometown of China's crayfish has shifted from a seasonal production model to a year-round supply cycle, allowing for the harvesting of fresh crayfish in winter that rival the size and texture of their summer counterparts, according to local authorities.

Ren Yaowu, an official at the Hubei Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, said that with nearly 40 percent of China's crayfish output, the technological shift from seasonal harvesting to steady, year-round production is "a major leap" for the industry.

The fresh winter stock is the result of overcoming technical bottlenecks in winter rice paddy farming, an agricultural process where crayfish are co-cultivated alongside rice. Though this model has been promoted for years for the summer market, it barely satisfied the large-scale winter demand due to low temperatures.

"While pond farming techniques had previously matured, Qianjiang focused on promoting the co-cultivation model in winter rice paddies this year," Ren said.

According to Zhang Yun, head of the Qianjiang Crayfish Industry Promotion Center, the city's winter crayfish output is estimated to exceed 26,000 tons this year, a year-on-year increase of approximately 30 percent. "The daily supply to Beijing has stabilized at 11 tons since November," he said.

Meanwhile, crayfish farmers have also benefited from the year-round production. Under the traditional model, farmers earned a net profit of about 34,500 yuan ($4,896) per hectare. With the new winter model, farmers can earn an additional 30,000 yuan on average for winter crayfish.

He Baogui, vice-president of the Beijing Restaurants Association, said the consistent supply of high-quality ingredients injects new vitality into the capital's dining scene, offering restaurants reliable options in the coldest months.