Crab Roe Tofu
Soft tofu cooked in a glossy sauce of picked crab meat and roe.
How to eat it
Take a small spoonful and let it cool before eating, because soft tofu and thick sauce hold heat longer than they appear to. Watch for an occasional tiny shell fragment despite the crab being picked.
The story behind the dish
Picked crab meat and roe dissolve into a glossy sauce that coats the soft tofu. In this name, xiefen means that picked crab mixture, not dried crab powder. Combining it with tofu extends a small amount of carefully extracted crab through a shared dish tied closely to the Jiangnan crab season.
For reference
Every kitchen does it its own way. What follows is the typical version — ingredients, heat and price shift from city to city and from one restaurant to the next, so take it as a guide rather than a fixed recipe.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.