Dishi Oyster Sauce

Dishi Oyster Sauce

　　Due to the location of the western shore of the Pearl River Estuary at the junction of fresh and saltwater, oysters in Zhuhai are large and meaty, packed with abundant protein and minerals. Among them, Dishi Oyster Sauce is especially popular in Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and Honolulu. (Zhuhai)

　　Dishi Oyster Sauce was first produced at the Yinkeng Oyster Farm in Zhuhai City. After the reform, it was rebranded as “Tangjiawan Oyster Sauce” and is now produced by Zhuhai Tangjiawan Commercial Products Co., Ltd. Known as the “milk of the sea,” it has a sweet, smooth taste, a golden-brown hue, and a fragrant, delicious flavor, making it an excellent seasoning.

　　“Dishi Oyster Sauce” has long been revered as the finest seafood delicacy in Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macau. Dishi is the landmark of the Yinkeng Oyster Farm in Zhuhai City, located on the scenic shores of Tangjiawan. This area boasts abundant marine life, and its oysters and oyster products have long been famous both domestically and abroad. Especially the traditional product—Dishi Oyster Sauce—has consistently sold well in Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia, and Honolulu, earning the esteemed title of “milk of the sea.”

　　Tangjiawan is a land of fish and rice, blessed with unique advantages for developing fisheries and oyster farming. Situated at the mouth of the Pearl River, it benefits from smooth tidal currents, ideal salinity levels, moderate temperatures, and fertile waters teeming with plankton—an optimal environment for oyster cultivation. Oyster farming in Yinkeng has a history of over 170 years. The earliest oyster gatherers and farmers here were from Yamen in Xinhui County. At that time, they moored their boats in Tangjiawan to draw spring water and discovered dense clusters of wild oyster spawn clinging to the offshore reefs—abundant and easy to find. The oysters inside had plump, crisp, tender, and delicious meat. Realizing this was a path to wealth, they pooled funds to establish a “He’an Oyster Pond” near Dishi. They invested six to seven thousand silver taels to hire workers to blast rocks and fill the sea with large stones, essentially building “houses” for the oysters, covering an area of 500–600 mu. At the same time, they set up a processing workshop and distribution center for oyster sauce, about four to five zhang wide, with six to seven bright red posters pasted at the entrance proclaiming “More oysters spawn” and “Fat oysters fetch high prices.” Business flourished. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, local gentry from nearby coastal villages such as Tangjia, Shanchang, and Jida, along with merchants from Taishan, Bao’an, and Macau, also took notice of the marine resources in the area. They seized control of the coastal zones and successively established over twenty oyster farms, including Zhenyuan Pond, Shengzhi Pond, Xiangyi Pond, Sihe Pond, and Yongshun Pond... Following the trend, oyster farms spread across the entire southeastern waters of Zhuhai, and people began to see the sea as a living bank. Hence, a folk saying emerged: “Beautiful world in Xiangshan—meat grows from stones and sells,” reflecting the scene of Zhuhai in those days.

　　However, the best geographical location for oyster farming is the bay area around Dishi. This is because Tangjiawan is shielded from the surging floods of the Pearl River by the bay mouth of Houhuan, resulting in stable water quality in the area. Moreover, the site faces northeast, which is naturally advantageous. Every autumn, fish schools from the Pacific Ocean migrate in large numbers through the Pearl River into these temperature-suited waters to spawn, further enriching the water’s fertility. As the saying goes, “Where there are fish, oysters are fat; where there are no fish, oysters are lean.” The excrement from the fish provides rich nutrients for the oysters, making them plump—a phenomenon locals call “Li Gen water.” Oyster farm owners often gauge the fattiness of the oysters based on the catch of market-ready fish, particularly when they observe a streak of over ten days with a bountiful supply of plump and fatty sanli fish (also known as shad). Immediately, they would post a red notice, recruiting security personnel and oyster harvesters from nearby villages to dive for oysters. On average, they could harvest 150 dan (a traditional unit, roughly 150 baskets) of oysters per day. They harvested during the day, cooked at night, sun-dried them the next morning, and by noon, the half-dried fresh oysters were packaged for export. At that time, Hong Kong-based fishmongers like “Daxin” sent two boats alternately every day to purchase fresh oysters and oyster sauce. Each jar of processed oyster sauce weighed 50 jin (25 kg), made by simmering 100 jin of oysters down to just 4–5 jin of concentrated, premium oyster extract. Thanks to the high-quality processing, the oyster sauce had thick consistency, minimal sediment, and a smooth, glossy, golden-yellow appearance. When lifted with chopsticks, it dripped in bead-like drops, offering a fragrant, savory, sweet taste akin to fine nectar. Upon acquiring this product, Hong Kong merchants bottled it, labeling it as “Dishi Oyster Sauce” or “Jinshan Estate Premium Oyster Sauce,” and exported it as genuine merchandise, which was highly favored by foreign gourmands and sold in large quantities. Many overseas Chinese returning home for family visits would specifically seek out this product, buying several bottles to use as a premium condiment for banquets or as thoughtful gifts for relatives and friends.