It's that time of year when Chinese foodies pass blissful summer nights by eating crawfish as a late-night snack. With the Latin name "Procambarus Clarkii," crawfish have been identified as an invasive species from the U.S. to Europe to China. Somehow, Chinese chefs manage to turn them into delicious treats with a flavor that is entirely unique.

Now, crawfish have become a 100-billion-RMB ($14.7 billion) market in China, according to a study published by Meituan-Dianping, China's largest group deals site. On average, every Chinese person spent 84 RMB ($12) on crawfish in 2016.

The crawfish market in China is worth over 100 billion RMB.

During last June alone, Chinese foodies ate 15 million tons of crawfish. There are over 17,000 crawfish restaurants in China, three times more than the number of KFC outlets in the country.

One can sample many flavors of crawfish on the streets of China. Hot and spicy, garlic-flavored and 13-spice-powder crawfish sell the best. Beijing’s Guijie Street is renowned for its dense concentration of restaurants that serve hot and spicy crawfish.

Beijing's Guijie Street is a perennially bustling local spot for hot and spicy crawfish.

Every summer night, foodies line up outside Guijie Street restaurants. Some of these businesses are so popular that latecomers must wait hours to dig into a big plate of spicy crawfish. From the crowd's noise and excitement, it's clear that those crawfish, enjoyed alongside ice-cold beer, have truly made peoples' day.