Taishan Fresh Oyster Feast

Last updated 2026-11-14 — The oysters used in the Taishan Fresh Oyster Feast have quite high requirements for their growing environment and tend to thrive and fatten in areas where fresh and saltwater meet. Areas with relatively fresh water are good for breeding oyster spat, while the zones where sea and river converge are ideal for the growth of juvenile oysters. With its long coastline, Taishan has formed numerous natural oyster farms. Oysters are often hailed as the “milk of the sea.” According to locals in Taishan, eating oysters makes children smarter, elders live longer, men stronger, and women more beautiful. Taishan’s hanging oysters are particularly famous. So-called hanging oysters are cultivated on cement slabs—each about 10 cm in length and width. Before the cement hardens, a long plastic rope is placed through the middle, linking dozens of slabs together. Once hardened, these slabs are hung in the sea like a fishing net, buoyed up by foam floats that keep the entire assembly suspended in the middle of the water. This creates an ideal habitat for oysters to settle on the cement surfaces. There are many ways to prepare hanging oysters: they can be used in soups, stir-fried with rice, eaten raw, blanched, deep-fried, or cooked on a hot iron plate, each method offering a unique flavor. Various cooking techniques such as pan-frying, braising, stewing, steaming, quick-frying, and steeping can all bring out the delicious taste of oysters. The key to cooking oysters lies in preserving their original flavor and mastering the cooking time—their most distinctive trait is their umami richness. Oysters, scientifically known as Ostrea, are considered in traditional Chinese medicine to nourish kidney and liver functions. Medical texts describe them as “neutral in nature, slightly cool, capable of nourishing yin and blood, clearing heat, and detoxifying. They both nourish yin and invigorate yang.” Oysters are rich in vitamins, proteins, iron, and other organic elements, as well as over 10 types of amino acids, trace elements, and vitamin E, making them a highly nutritious food.