If you’ve been in Hong Kong during the autumn months, then you’ll know it’s hairy crab season. Families and friends gather together to consume vast quantities of the Chinese mitten crabs, which are prized for their creamy, orange-gold roe.
During this time, many restaurants have all-you-can-eat deals with special hairy crab menus comprising various dishes made from the meat and roe. Diners are allowed to consume as many crabs or crab dishes as they can handle within a certain amount of time (typically around 75 minutes).
Unsurprisingly, netizens have taken it upon themselves to compete in “challenges” by sharing snaps of piled up empty crab bodies after a feast. Because of the time limit, however, many people are discarding the more fidderly, time consuming legs and claws in favour of a higher body count.
Talking to Oriental Daily, executive director for Greeners Action, Angus Ho, said that such practices are an example of Hong Kong’s severe food waste problem. Ho added that restaurants should charge customers who leave behind excessive waste and encourage diners to be more mindful in their munching.
Hong Kong produces a staggering 3,648 tonnes of food waste every day, and the amount produced by the hospitality industry alone has doubled in the last five years.
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Photo: Wikipedia
