Mala crayfish, also called maxiao or maxiao'er, is made primarily with red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). It is commonly eaten as a late-night snack or with alcoholic drinks. [1]
Origins and spread
Xuyi County in Jiangsu began holding a crayfish festival in 2000, when crayfish were mainly stir-fried. Xuyi crayfish later spread to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shanghai and other areas. After 2001, mala crayfish appeared in Beijing, including on Guijie. Guijie held its first “Mala Crayfish Festival” in 2002, helping the dish gain popularity in Beijing and elsewhere. [1]
The “thirteen-spice” flavour
In Xuyi’s “thirteen-spice mala crayfish,” “thirteen-spice” is a conventional name. The seasoning may in fact combine more than twenty spices and can produce several flavour profiles. The name therefore does not mean that the recipe contains a fixed set of exactly thirteen spices. [1]
Eating
Mala crayfish is commonly found at night markets and served as a late-night snack or with alcohol. Diners usually remove the shell when eating it. [1]