Dried Squid from Beihai

Dried Squid from Beihai

　　Dried squid from Beihai is a specialty of Beihai City in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. "Bamboo-Skewered Squid" is a type of dried squid that best represents the seafood flavor of Beihai. Its main characteristic is that freshly caught squid are cleaned and then hung and naturally sun-dried on bamboo skewers. In addition, the squid from Beihai are naturally low in salt content, so after this natural processing, the squid emits a distinctive fragrance and has an excellent taste.

　　The quality and flavor of Beihai squid are superior to those caught in other sea areas. On one hand, this is because the water in the Beibu Gulf has small changes in salinity, slow currents, minimal tidal variations, and stable nutrient levels throughout the sea area. This stability also extends to the marine food chain, providing squid with a better living environment and thus better meat quality. On the other hand, fishing grounds are close by, and fishermen usually go out to sea in the evening and return early in the morning, ensuring high freshness of the seafood. The resulting dried seafood is relatively light and fresh. Especially the "Bamboo-Skewered Squid" is processed directly by fishermen on their boats.

　　Because "Bamboo-Skewered Squid" is sun-dried while hanging, the overall shape is not perfectly straight. Moreover, regardless of grade or size, each squid will have a small hole at the tail where it was skewered. Some non-local squid merchants, seeing the high quality and price of Beihai squid, intentionally poke holes in the tails of their squid to fetch better prices. However, careful observation can reveal differences. Due to the hanging drying method, the two long tentacles of Beihai "Bamboo-Skewered Squid" remain well-preserved. In contrast, Vietnamese and Argentine squids are dried flat and air-dried, so during the flipping and drying process, their long tentacles are often damaged. Generally, Vietnamese and Argentine squids are very flat and straight, but their dryness and color do not match the golden, clean, and shiny appearance of Beihai "Bamboo-Skewered Squid."

　　If Beihai dried squid is stored for too long, a thin layer of white frost may appear on the surface. This is caused by the gradual diffusion and release of moisture stored in the squid, along with nitrogen compounds, during storage. It does not affect the quality of the squid. Some non-local dried squid, due to inferior processing methods, tend to develop a much thicker layer of white frost compared to Beihai squid.

　　Locally produced squid from Beihai, due to its high quality, is relatively more expensive as dried squid. Especially the "Bamboo-Skewered Squid," which involves a slightly more complex production method and offers a unique taste, is particularly popular in the market, and its price has been rising steadily. Dried squid is also a popular gift among locals in Beihai during festivals and holidays. In recent years, the price of Beihai dried squid tends to reach new historical highs in the period just before the New Year.

　　The price of Beihai dried squid also varies depending on the size of the squid. Generally, dried squid about the size of a palm sells for 40–50 RMB per jin (500g), while larger ones range from 80–120 RMB. The Yunnan Road Aquatic Products Market in Beihai offers many high-quality dried squids for sale.