China's live-crab vending machines
In some Chinese train stations you can now purchase living crustaceans as conveniently as candy bars
![The live crabs are sedated in a 5 degrees celsius vending machine but they come to life once outside.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LWUenhPEQRwQMkqEYdLxk4-415-80.jpg)
The video: A curious new trend in vending-machine fare is cropping up China: Refrigerated live crabs. For as little as 15 yuan (two dollars), busy commuters in the city of Nanjing can purchase a "Dazha" hairy crab, a local delicacy prized for its flavorful roe. Inside the machines, rows of the plastic-encased crustaceans are kept dormant by chilly 41-degree air. And if you happen to get a crab that's beyond dormant? A "sign next to the machine offers three free crabs for anyone who is unlucky enough to get a dead one."
The reaction: "What a deal!" says Adam Frucci at DVice. "I don't think the demand for hairy crabs is high enough here in the States to warrant bringing it across the Pacific — but maybe a lobster vending machine could be in our future?" Instead, says Stephen Messenger at TreeHugger, maybe we could design "a vending machine that dispenses a bit of decency. After all, shouldn't consuming living things be a little less convenient?" Watch a live-crab vending machine in action:
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
-
Ukraine's Olympians: going for gold in the line of fire
Under the Radar Hundreds of the country's athletes have died in battle, while those who remain deal with the psychological toll of war and prospect of Russian competitors
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Democrats now have a chance to present a vigorous, compelling case'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published