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:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
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.
-
Today's political cartoons - February 1, 2025Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - broken eggs, contagious lies, and more
-
5 humorously unhealthy cartoons about RFK Jr.Cartoons Artists take on medical innovation, disease spreading, and more
-
Brodet (fish stew) recipeThe Week Recommends This hearty dish is best accompanied by a bowl of polenta
