Once Considered a Pest, Freshwater Lobster is Now a Big Business

Freshwater lobster soup is served with an elegant appearance. Photo: China Daily

JAKARTA - Freshwater lobsters have a unique journey in China. The small red animal was once considered an alien invader that disturbed the rice fields. Now, he has turned into a popular dinner and has grown into a large-value industry.

China Daily, quoted on Friday, July 10, reported that the story was discussed in the book Crayfish Temptation: An Ethnography of Place-Making and Agricultural Transformation in China by Sidney Cheung Chinhung and Ding Ling. The book traces how freshwater lobsters move from rice paddies to the dinner table, then reshape the local economy in a number of Chinese regions.

The freshwater lobster in question is crayfish, a small freshwater crustacean that looks like a mini lobster. This animal is not a native species of China. It came as an alien species, before finally entering the kitchen, the rice fields, the night market, and the industrial chain.

When summer arrives, many cities in China live until the evening. In the alleys, night markets, and roadside stalls, spicy freshwater lobsters are served with cold beer. The dish is one of the faces of summer nights in China.

Its popularity has crossed regional boundaries. From Qianjiang in Hubei Province to Xuyi in Jiangsu, from the Yangtze River Delta to northern cities and night markets in the west, freshwater lobsters are now a familiar evening meal for city dwellers.

The book was compiled from almost 20 years of field work. The authors followed the changes of freshwater lobsters from low-value animals to being part of the agriculture, supply chain, tourism, and urban lifestyle.

Zhang Jinghong, an associate professor at the Center for Social Sciences, Southern University of Science and Technology, said the book traces the journey of freshwater lobsters from New Orleans in the United States, Hokkaido in Japan, to the Yangtze River Delta in China.

According to Zhang, the book shows how freshwater lobsters have changed from "invasive invaders" to culinary symbols of Nanjing and the surrounding region.

"Beyond consumption, the writers go into the field, uncovering the logic of production and ecological practices of freshwater rice-lobster cultivation," said Zhang.

Cheung started observing freshwater lobsters more than two decades ago. He saw that their popularity did not just happen. The change was related to the movement of millions of rural workers to the city. They brought a strong taste for spicy and spicy food from Sichuan and Hunan.

Freshwater lobsters fit that taste. The meat is tender and easily absorbs seasoning. In Xuyi, that flavor change has become an industry.

China Daily noted that in the 1990s, freshwater lobsters were still considered low-value aquatic animals. The situation changed when local chefs cooked it with a mixture of spices known as "13-spice freshwater lobster".

"Many people say that Xuyi freshwater lobsters are famous not because of their freshwater lobsters themselves, but because of the 13 spices," said Cheung.

The success was quickly turned into a regional brand. Festivals, promotional campaigns, and tourism projects made Xuyi known as the "Freshwater Lobster Capital". One food ingredient eventually attracted investment and moved the local economy.

If Xuyi is strong as a brand, Qianjiang shows the production side. In this area, farmers used to see freshwater lobsters as a problem because the animals dig up rice fields and damage rice seedlings.

The turning point came when farmers switched to a pattern of cultivating rice and freshwater lobsters together. In this system, rice and freshwater lobsters grow in the same land.

The model, which was originally born from a trial and error, then became a stable agricultural pattern. Freshwater lobsters eat weeds and plankton. Their movements and feces also help fertilize rice. One rice field eventually produces both grain and water resources.

For farmers, the impact is felt immediately. In Qianjiang, small land can generate a stable annual income. The results are often enough to keep families in their hometowns, without having to find work as migrant workers in other cities.

From the rice fields, the chain of industries widens. Processing plants freeze, season, and pack freshwater lobsters so that they can be consumed throughout the year. The logistics network sends them from the production area to the city in just a few hours.

Freshwater lobster farming is also no longer just surviving in southern China. With technical adjustments, the cultivation has entered the colder northern region.

"In July and August, when growth slowed in the Yangtze River region due to high temperatures, the northern region entered the peak season," said Cheung.

This season's difference makes the supply last longer. In Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang Province in northeastern China, rice paddies can now produce rice and freshwater lobsters.

Cheung assessed that the appeal of Chinese freshwater lobsters did not stop at the domestic market. Unlike the previous wave of Chinese cuisine that spread with migrants, freshwater lobsters come with a more standardized cultivation, processing, and production system.

In recent years, China's freshwater lobsters have begun to appear abroad. The routes are diverse, from cross-border shipments, international sports events, to more and more restaurants serving them.

Animals that were once considered a nuisance to the rice fields are now part of China's agriculture, cuisine, and trade. From the night market table, freshwater lobsters are slowly entering the global stage.