Jiao Jian, CEO of Dadiyuansheng, said on his micro blog that he believed the sales of mitten crabs were disallowed because it would affect "certain domestic crab industries". Jiao said the crabs would be imported live.

A staff member of the Crab Association of Yangcheng Lake, the place widely considered to produce the best crabs in the country, told China Daily he doesn't think the German variety would "have any impact on the crabs that have been popular in the market and craved like hotcakes for decades".

In a previous interview with Shanghai-based Oriental Morning Post, Jiao said his company has eyed the domestic market since last autumn. He claimed the German crabs he sold are provided by local fishing companies "after tough negotiation" because no companies in Germany export to China.

The lure of mitten crabs from Germany has proved hard to resist for some Chinese consumers.

"I am just curious what the foreign cousins of Chinese crabs taste like," said Zhu Xinli, a 29-year-old housewife in Shanghai. She had just purchased a 399-yuan pack of the German crabs from the online store.

"I believe the German waters will be less polluted than ours," said Zhu, adding she wouldn't withdraw her order as long as the German crabs can arrive in China.

Contact the writers at xujunqian@chinadaily.com.cn and xuwei@chinadaily.com.cn