Oysters from Sangyu

Sangyu Oysters

　　Sangyu oysters, named after their abundance on Sang Island, are among the finest sea treasures of Jiaodong. Also known as oysters or commonly referred to as "sea oysters," they were already tribute items for the imperial palace as early as the Song Dynasty.

　　According to the Guangxu-era edition of the Wendeng County Annals, Sangyu oysters are described as having a “delicate yet rich flavor.” The renowned Qing Dynasty scholar Hao Yixing wrote in his Notes on Marine Creatures: “Those produced on Sang Island in the sea off Wendeng (i.e., Sangyu oysters) possess an exceptionally pure and unique taste, treasured far and wide.”

　　Sang Island is located about 20 kilometers south of the county town along the Yellow Sea coast. The area is rich in plankton, and the oysters produced here range in size from as large as a horse’s hoof to as small as a fingertip. Their flesh is particularly clean and highly nutritious. Sang Island is also abundant in rolling oysters, which do not attach to rocks but float and roll with the tides, allowing fishermen to gather them once the tide recedes.

　　In ancient times, the people of Wendeng had the custom of roasting oysters over an open fire on the spot to eat them, preserving their original flavor—a tradition that continues to this day.