Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp

Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp

Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp is a geographical indication certification trademark.

Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp is a geographical indication agricultural product.

　　Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp, also known as river shrimp or marsh shrimp, is a major economic shrimp species in the Hongze Lake area. It is rich in nutrition, tender and delicious, making it a highly prized and valuable aquatic product. It prefers to inhabit shallow water areas or slow-moving waters overgrown with aquatic plants. During the day, it remains hidden in dark places and becomes active at night, often crawling along the lake bottom, aquatic vegetation, and other objects. Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp has poor swimming ability and can only move short distances, often crawling through grass at the bottom of the lake. However, when startled or threatened, it can rapidly contract its abdomen, use its tail fan to paddle backward, then suddenly straighten its body and spring out of the water to escape. It grows quickly; juvenile shrimp hatched between May and June each year usually grow to about 3 cm in length in approximately 40 days, and by November, each shrimp typically weighs around 3–5 grams. Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp molts 13–15 times during its life; its growth and development are achieved through molting. Its lifespan is generally 14–18 months. Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp is an omnivorous small animal that feeds on algae, fragments of aquatic plant stems and leaves, plankton, other shrimp, bacteria, silt, as well as fine grains and small organisms such as cladocerans and copepods.

　　Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp has tender and delicious meat, is rich in nutrition, and contains 16.40 grams of protein per 100 grams of edible portion. Nutritionists believe it has certain brain-nourishing benefits. Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp is easy to digest, making it an excellent food for those who are physically weak or recovering from illness. The shrimp is rich in magnesium, which helps protect the cardiovascular system, reduce blood cholesterol levels, prevent arteriosclerosis, and dilate coronary arteries. Shrimp also has strong lactation-promoting properties and is rich in phosphorus and calcium, offering particular benefits for children and pregnant women.

　　There are many ways to prepare Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp. In addition to methods such as boiling, braising in oil, spicy oil-tossed shrimp, stir-frying, salt-boiled shrimp, and stewed shrimp, another famous preparation method involves soaking the shrimp in wine and fermenting them. Select shrimp of similar size, neatly arranged and lively, place them in a transparent glass bowl, then spray with white liquor (enough to cover the shrimp), add salt, vinegar, sugar, minced ginger, and cilantro. Cover with a lid, let it sit briefly, and it’s ready to serve. Drunken shrimp is truly a delicacy. When you bite into a drunken shrimp, just gently press with your upper and lower teeth, and the tender shrimp meat will slide onto your tongue amid the subtle flavors of wine, acidity, and sweetness — the sensation is absolutely delightful.

　　Geographic Scope

　　Distribution area of Hongze Lake Blue Shrimp: The production area extends from nine townships in Suqian City and Huai'an City toward the center of Hongze Lake, including Longji Town, Taiping Town, Jiejie Town in Sihong County, Suqian City; Zhongyang Town in Sucheng District; Lujitown, Gaodu Town, and Peiweitown in Siyang County; Hanqiao Township and Zhaoji Town in Huai'an City. This includes Chengzi Lake and the lakes, bays connected to Hongze Lake, with boundaries at the mouths of rivers extending into land defined by the line connecting both riverbanks. The distribution area lies between 118°28′8″–118°50′29″ east longitude and 33°20′21″–33°38′8″ north latitude, covering an area of 50,000 hectares.