For crab fans, it is always worth the long wait for October and November to come around each year when again they can savor those delicious and delicate little crustaceans.

After a long wait of 10 months, finally here's the mature season for salivating hairy crab gourmands.

They are ready to strut their stuff to conquer the tough shellfish to break, crack, suck and slurp the savory roe, fertile gao and juicy, sweet flesh.

As the old Shanghai saying goes, "female crabs mature in the ninth month of lunar calendar and the males in the 10th," October is the perfect time to eat female crabs as their orange roe has solidified and white meat is perfect.

The males usually grow bigger than the female crabs. The best parts of a male are its sticky gray gao and strong pincers, where the biggest and most tasty meat hides.

Different from king crabs, freshwater hairy crabs are much smaller but juicier and sweeter. The roe and gao the "gold" of the crab and the most tasty part. The two different tastes are also the main reason people tend to prefer either a male crab or female crab.

"Clean, steam and dip them in vinegar sauce," says Douglas Ong, from Malaysia. "Wash them down with rice wine and try both the males and females. You will see what you prefer gao or roe."

Foodies need to be patient and careful when tackling the tiny bodies of the crabs if they want to savor the meat.

"It is all the work (to get the meat, gao, roe) that makes the crabs such a super delicacy," says Diana Carter, from the United States.

She is keen on Shanghai cuisine and annually looks forward to hairy crab season together with her Chinese husband.

"It is not just delicious but there's the happiness you experience from being rewarded (for your hard work)," she says. "When you finally see the big bunch of meat, you rejoice and can't wait to slurp."