China
2019.06.23 15:30 GMT+8

Crayfish peelers introduced to meet border market demand

Updated 2019.06.23 15:30 GMT+8
By Zhao Yunfei, Meng Mingwei

Next time you prepare seafood at home, you might find it a clean, hassle-free process. A supermarket chain with stores in central China has hired some part time crayfish peelers. But not everyone seems into it.

For a small processing fee, a Hemaxiansheng food chain store in Wuhan helps customers cook the gourmet food after purchasing, and for just a little more money, you can get your crayfish peeled.

"Peeling crayfish is fun, especially when you successfully pull the entire shrimp out of the shell. It gives you a sense of accomplishment," said Zhang Lili, a crayfish peeler in the store.

A Hubei local and shrimp foodie, Zhang said this weekend part time job has added flavor to her life.

Zhang Lili is pealing crayfish. /CGTN Photo

But will she and the other peelers get lots of customers? Many say, probably not. 

"I can do it myself. There’s no point someone does it for me," said one customer in the store. "Peeling the shrimp is part of the process of enjoying the food," said another. 

Although the demand is not high, the shop owner sees potential in the new service. 

"It's just a creative approach by the store to better serve customers. You know people cannot live without their cellphones. We just want to free your hands from peeling shrimp, so that you can use your phone while eating," said Peng Rong, manager of the Hemaxiansheng store. 

Hubei Province is one of the world's largest producers of crayfish. /CGTN Photo

More than 800,000 tonnes of crayfish are produced in Hubei annually. Seafood is a major driving force of the province's economy. Some international investors have shown interest in Chinese crayfish, known in mandarin as xiaolongxia.

"We want to develop xiaolongxia outside China. Many countries aren't familiar with it, especially African countries," said Zied Guiza, chairman of Africa China Investment and Development Group.

Many cities in China have even developed their own crayfish culture and, as the market goes abroad, services like crayfish peeling may not seem so odd after all.

Copyright © 

RELATED STORIES