Xuwen Mountain-Sea "Golden Hook" Dried Shrimps

Xuwen Mountain-Sea "Golden Hook" Dried Shrimps

　　Dried shrimps are a famous seafood delicacy. The coastal areas of Xuwen have been producing dried shrimps since ancient times, but those from Shanhai Fishing Port in Qianshan Town, Xuwen County, are considered the best. In the last century, they were highly popular in Hong Kong, Macau, and other regions both domestically and abroad. Renowned for their excellent quality, they earned the prestigious title of "Golden Hook" dried shrimps.

　　The dried shrimps produced at Shanhai Fishing Port have a slightly red outer shell, vibrant and glossy in color. They are uniform in size, thoroughly dried, and firm in texture. Their bodies are smooth and clean, free of shells or appendages—so much so that ancient connoisseurs praised them with the verse: “Curved little bodies with jade-like waists, two-inch silver whiskers and an inch of muscle!”

　　The dried shrimps from Shanhai Fishing Port are lightly salted, uniquely flavorful, and highly nutritious. According to analysis, every 100 grams of these dried shrimps contain 58.1 grams of protein, 2.1 grams of fat, 4.6 grams of carbohydrates, 577 milligrams of calcium, 614 milligrams of phosphorus, 13.1 milligrams of iron, as well as various vitamins.

　　It is reported that the processing of dried shrimps at Shanhai Fishing Port has a history of seventy to eighty years. The production technique is extremely meticulous, using winter and spring shrimps as the premium choices. Fresh sea shrimps are first sun-dried on sunny days, then blanched in saltwater before being dried again. They are then bagged, beaten, kneaded, winnowed, and sieved to remove shells and impurities. This involves processes such as salting, steaming, drying, sunning, and shelling. As a result, the dried shrimps are brightly colored, clean, and incredibly delicious—making them a purely natural seafood seasoning that is especially favored by people in Hong Kong and Macau.

　　Information Link: Processing Methods of Dried Shrimps

　　There are mainly two methods for processing dried shrimps: the boiling method and the steaming method. The boiling method is the traditional approach and is currently the most widely used. The processing steps are as follows.

　　1. Ingredient Preparation: Before boiling, raw shrimps must be sorted by quality and size. Shrimps mixed with sand or dirt must be thoroughly washed in clean water, and small shrimps, small fish, and impurities must be removed. To prevent the shrimps from sticking to their shells during cooking, the raw shrimps should be soaked in cold water (preferably ice water) for about 20 minutes prior to boiling.

　　2. Boiling: Use clean drinking water for boiling, maintaining a water-to-ingredient weight ratio of 4:1. Add 5%-6% salt based on the weight of the water. First, bring the saltwater to a boil, then add the raw shrimps. Boil each batch for about 6 minutes. During the boiling process, continuously stir the shrimps in one direction along the edge of the pot with a strainer, and remove any foam that rises to the surface. When the shrimps are taken out of the water, if their shells quickly turn white, it indicates they are fully cooked and can be immediately removed. Salt should be added appropriately to each batch to maintain the salinity of the water. After about five batches, the water will become cloudy and should be changed promptly.

　　3. Drying: There are two methods for drying dried shrimps: sun-drying or oven-drying. Place the boiled shrimps in a basket, drain the water, and then sun-dry them. In case of rainy or overcast weather, spread the shrimps thinly indoors to air-dry—do not stack them to avoid internal overheating and spoilage. When sun-drying, spread the shrimps on straw mats or bamboo mats, turning them appropriately to ensure quick and even drying. If conditions allow, slightly cooled boiled shrimps can be evenly spread on bamboo mats and placed in a drying tunnel, maintaining a temperature of 70-75 degrees Celsius for 2-3 hours.

　　4. Shelling: A dried shrimp shelling machine can be used, or the shelling can be done manually. Manually shelled dried shrimps have brighter colors, intact individual pieces, and a higher yield rate. For a small quantity of dried shrimps, you can also put them in a jute sack and shake the sack against a cement floor or stone slab with both hands to remove the shells.

　　5. Packaging: After shelling, the dried shrimps are sieved, graded, and packaged according to size and appearance quality. They can be quantitatively packed in small plastic bags—typically 500 grams or 1000 grams per bag—and finally placed in large cartons. (Text by He Qiang)