Luan Nan Maoxia (Fuzzy Shrimp)

Luan Nan Maoxia

　　Maoxia (fuzzy shrimp) is a major seafood product in Hebei Province, accounting for one-quarter to one-third of the province’s total annual seafood output. Luan Nan Maoxia holds a prominent position nationwide and is distributed to nearly every province, municipality, and autonomous region.

　　"Luan Nan Maoxia" is produced along the southern coastal areas of the county, particularly in Nanpu and Liuzan, where it has been harvested for four to five hundred years. During the two main fishing seasons in spring and autumn, fishermen use set nets and frame nets for stationary fishing. Of the freshly caught shrimp, a small portion is sold locally or processed into shrimp oil and shrimp paste, while the majority is boiled in brine, sun-dried, cleaned, and made into dried products.

　　Maoxia is known for its thin shell, tender meat, delicious taste, and convenience of preparation, making it a popular seafood choice. The maoxia produced in Nanpu, Luan Nan County, is especially renowned for its large size, white color, thick meat, and fresh flavor. Its most outstanding feature is that it contains no sand or grit, so it doesn’t hurt your teeth when eaten, making it highly favored. Our county’s maoxia is widely sold both within and outside the province, and also exported. Processed products come in two types: cooked skin and raw skin. Fresh maoxia that is salt-boiled and then sun-dried is called cooked shrimp skin, while fresh shrimp that is sun-dried without cooking is called raw skin. Additionally, fresh shrimp can be ground and fermented in a vat to make shrimp paste, with shrimp oil as a byproduct. There are many simple and diverse ways to enjoy maoxia: cooked or raw shrimp skin can be added to soups, stuffings, or stir-fries, offering a delicious and memorable flavor. Cooked shrimp skin and shrimp oil can also be used as condiments for cold side dishes. Fresh shrimp skin can be salt-boiled and eaten directly.