A large leaf-lined bamboo tray holds three sea fish, large prawns, scallops and clams, a bamboo mat beside it dries sea cucumbers and kelp, and a blue-and-white bowl holds shredded jellyfish.
Foods of the sea
Introduction
Sea fish, shellfish, sea cucumber, seaweed and the dried foods of the sea.
Seafood means food from the sea: sea fish, shrimp and crab, shellfish, sea cucumber and jellyfish, and seaweeds such as kelp and laver. Along the coast it is mostly eaten fresh, but marine produce is also often dried, and dried sea cucumber is one such prized dried food. The eating of jellyfish is recorded in the Tang book Ling Biao Lu Yi by Liu Xun, and it is usually made into crisp cold dishes. Freshwater produce belongs to Freshwater Fish, Shrimp and Shellfish, salted fish to Salted Fish, and dishes cooked from marine produce to the regional cuisines.