What is it
Crab Shell Pastry
A small sesame-coated baked pastry with sweet or savoury filling.
At the table
How to eat it
NONE
Culture
The story behind the dish
Baking browns the sesame-coated surface while the layered dough turns flaky around its filling. Its round, golden form resembles a crab shell, which explains the name, but no crab is required. Shanghai bakeries make both sweet and savoury versions with fillings such as sugar, red bean, scallion or pork.
Reference
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.
SpicinessNot spicy
Main ingredientWheat flour / Sesame / Filling
FlavourFlaky, sweet or savoury
ContainsGluten
Usually servedHot
Good forSnack
Where it is fromShanghai and the Jiangnan region
Ordering tipAsk for the filling before ordering because sweet and savoury pastries can look almost identical. If you avoid pork, don't assume that 蟹壳黄 is vegetarian simply because the name refers to a shell.
If you have an allergy or something you can't eat, check with the staff before you order.
Last updated 2026-09-05
Something changed? Report an update →