Jiao yan you yu or salt-and-pepper squid is a traditional dish originating from Guangzhou. This Cantonese dish is usually made with a combination of squid, potato flour, scallions, Shaoxing wine, garlic, oil, hot peppers, Sichuan pepper or white pepper, and salt. The surface of the squid is cross-hatched and the body is cut into bite-sized pieces. It's mixed with Shaoxing wine, drained, dredged in flour, and deep-fried in hot oil until lightly golden. The squid is removed from the pan. The garlic, scallions, and hot peppers are stir-fried in the same oil, and the squid is placed back into the pan with a mixture of Sichuan pepper and salt. The dish is stir-fried a bit more, tossed, and served hot as an appetizer or a main course.
You bao xia is a dish consisting of whole, shell-on shrimp that are flash-fried in scorching oil until delightfully crisp, then rapidly tossed in a vibrant, sticky, sweet-and-savory glaze. Translated literally as "oil-exploded shrimp," this culinary masterpiece is a brilliant showcase of traditional Jiangnan cooking, which prizes the natural freshness of regional aquatic ingredients alongside deeply caramelized, complex flavor profiles. The defining characteristic of authentic you bao xia lies in its textural duality, achieved through a rapid, highly specific cooking process. First, the shrimp are briefly submerged in smoking-hot oil; this fierce thermal shock causes the translucent shells to instantly puff, crisp up, and detach slightly from the meat inside, turning a brilliant, glossy ruby red while ensuring the delicate flesh remains incredibly tender and sweet. Once the shrimp are scooped out of the bubbling oil, the wok is quickly repurposed to build the dish's signature aromatic profile. A fragrant foundation of minced ginger and scallion whites is quickly bloomed in the residual oil before the transformative glaze is introduced. This sauce is a delicate balancing act of classic Chinese pantry staples: premium light and dark soy sauces for umami and color, a generous pour of Shaoxing wine to neutralize any seafood funk, and the distinctively Shanghainese addition of abundant sugar, which melts down into a rich, clinging syrup. A final, crucial splash of aged Chinkiang black vinegar is added to the bubbling reduction, providing a subtle, acidic brightness that cuts through the richness of the frying oil and sugar without making the dish overtly sour. When the crispy shrimp are tossed back into this aggressively boiling wok, the blistered shells act like sponges, absorbing the sticky, caramelized coating to create a deeply savory, sweet exterior. You bao xia holds a revered place in Chinese dining culture, frequently taking center stage at banquets, family gatherings, and Lunar New Year celebrations. Its festive presence is highly symbolic: the bright crimson color of the cooked shrimp represents luck and joy, while the energetic "jumping" of the live shrimp and the phonetic sound of the word for shrimp (xia, which echoes laughter) evoke happiness and prosperity. Enjoying you bao xia is an inherently interactive and tactile dining experience that rewards the adventurous eater. While some diners prefer to painstakingly peel the glazed shells to reach the meat, true devotees of the dish argue that it is best eaten entirely whole—crispy shell, head, and all.
Oyster omelette is a savory egg-based dish originating in the coastal regions of southern China, particularly in Fujian and Guangdong, and it later spread across Southeast Asia, where it became a beloved staple of street food culture in places like Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines. It combines small, fresh oysters with eggs and a starch batter, resulting in a dish that is crisp on the outside and soft within, often finished with herbs, sauces, or spicy condiments. Its roots lie in the coastal abundance of oysters and the ingenuity of cooks who sought to make use of seasonal shellfish in a satisfying and economical way. In port cities and fishing towns, oysters were plentiful but perishable, and incorporating them into quick, hot dishes allowed them to be eaten fresh while also providing nourishment and flavor to working families and laborers. The dish evolved over time, with each region adapting it to local tastes. In Fujian and Chaoshan areas, the emphasis is often on the delicate interplay of soft oysters and lightly set eggs, while in Taiwan the starch component became more prominent, forming a chewy, slightly gooey texture that contrasts with the crisp edges from the hot griddle. Thai and Malaysian versions tend to be spicier and sometimes include additional aromatics or bean sprouts for freshness and crunch. Preparation begins with a batter made of sweet potato, tapioca, or potato starch mixed with water, poured onto a hot, greased griddle or wok, and spread into a thin layer. Oysters are added on top, followed by beaten eggs, which cook quickly and bind the ingredients together. The omelette is flipped and browned until parts become crisp while the interior remains tender and moist. It is usually served hot, garnished with cilantro or scallions, and accompanied by a sweet, sour, or spicy dipping sauce, depending on the region. Today, oyster omelette is eaten both as a street snack and a restaurant dish, often associated with night markets, coastal seafood stalls, and festive occasions. It pairs well with light soups or rice porridge and is sometimes enjoyed alongside beer or tea, especially in settings where it is served as part of a shared meal.
Fish ball is one of the most popular meals that is commonly eaten throughout Southern China, Hong Kong, and Macau. The dish originates from the eastern regions of Guangdong province, and consists of ball-shaped patties made with finely pulverized fish meat, also known as surimi. Fish balls are typically consumed either as an appetizer or the main meal. It was popularized in Hong Kong, where there are two versions of the dish - one is smaller, yellow, made with shark meat, and sold on skewers, while the other one is bigger, white, and made with more expensive fish meat. The second version is usually consumed with noodles. In Singapore and Malaysia, fish balls are often filled with pork, and can be found in soups, noodles, or accompanied by rice.
A specialty of Anhui cuisine, phoenix tail shrimp consists of crispy-fried, battered shrimps. It is typically prepared with large freshwater shrimps that have been shelled and deveined but with their tails left intact. Once cleaned, the shrimps are coated with a batter of flour, water, and seasonings, leaving the tails exposed before they’re fried to crispy perfection. The frying process makes the shrimps' tails bright red, crispy, and tilted upward, giving them a close resemblance to a phoenix's tail, hence the name phoenix tail shrimp. In China, these deep-fried crustaceans are typically enjoyed hot, accompanied by lemon wedges and a variety of dipping sauces on the side. Phoenix tail shrimps are usually eaten as snacks or appetizers.
Regarded as a specialty of Hangzhou city, fried shrimps with Longjing tea is one of the best-known dishes of Zheijang cuisine that makes use of the outstanding Longjing tea. Large live shrimps are first soaked in a marinade of egg whites, cornstarch, and rice wine, and then cooked along with steeped Longjing tea. The fragrant and refreshing green shoots of Longjing tea beautifully complement the delicious white shrimps, giving this authentic dish an exquisite flavor. These stir-fried shrimps are served hot or chilled, drizzled with the cooking liquid and seasoned with salt and pepper to taste.
Easily identifiable by the patches of scruffy dark hair on its claws, the succulent, moist, and meaty Shanghai hairy crab is a delicacy that is large as an adult person's palm. Its flesh is firm, yet tender and delicate, so it is always steamed whole, without any seasonings, while the meat is much sweeter than regular crabmeat. When consumed, it is typically dipped into a combination of rice vinegar and soy sauce, then topped with sliced ginger. These crabs are traditionally eaten hot, and two to four crabs per person usually makes a satisfying meal. Hairy crabs are in season from September until mid-November, a time of the year when the city's neighbourhoods are interspersed with markets and high-end restaurants offering this delicacy. The Chinese people believe that hairy crab has a cooling (yin) effect on the body, so it should be paired with suitable warming foods and beverages such as the potent yellow rice wine.
This seafood lover’s delight is typically served at upscale Chinese restaurants specialized in Cantonese cuisine. The contents of the bird’s nest usually include jumbo shrimp, squid, and scallops that are stir-fried with fresh vegetables, scallions, ginger, and garlic. All of the stir-fried ingredients are placed into an edible nest with a tough and crunchy texture, which is entirely made out of fried taro root or noodles. This luxurious dish is often reserved for special occasions such as weddings, New Year, or birthdays.
Scallops with bok choy is a traditional dish that's especially popular in Shandong as a banqueting dish. Although there are variations, it's usually made with a combination of fresh scallops, bok choy, ginger, garlic, vegetable oil, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine or sherry, salt, sugar, and black pepper. The bok choy is blanched in boiling water and drained, while the scallops are blanched in water for a few seconds before they're drained. The ginger and garlic are fried in oil in a wok and then mixed with the sesame oil, salt, pepper, sugar, and wine or sherry. Bok choy and scallops are added to the wok and the dish is stir-fried shortly before it's served hot. Sometimes, the dish is served with the bok choy arranged to resemble the spokes of a wheel, while the scallops are served on top.
Men bao yu is a luxurious and highly esteemed delicacy of whole abalones meticulously slow-braised in a rich, deeply savory soy sauce-based liquid until they achieve a velvety, meltingly tender texture. Originating from the refined culinary traditions of Guangdong, this Cantonese masterpiece can be prepared with either exceptionally fresh abalones—which offer a delicate, oceanic sweetness and require less cooking time—or premium dried abalones, which must be painstakingly rehydrated over several days. The braising technique remains a rigorous, multi-hour endeavor. To build the dish's extraordinarily complex flavor profile, the abalones are typically nestled in a heavy clay pot or wok alongside a generous aromatic bed of scallions, smashed ginger, garlic, and fresh coriander. Because abalone naturally has a subtle, clean taste, elite chefs invariably introduce collagen-rich secondary ingredients into the braise, such as pork ribs, old hen, or premium Jinhua ham. As the pot gently simmers for hours, the abalone acts as a sponge, absorbing the profound, meaty essence of the poultry and pork while releasing its own delicate maritime flavors into the broth. Once the abalone meat reaches a perfectly succulent, slightly yielding consistency, the cooking liquid is strained, aggressively reduced, and glossed with a touch of oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and a cornstarch slurry to create a brilliant, mahogany-hued glaze. This luscious sauce is then generously ladled over the hot, glistening abalones, which are frequently arranged over a bed of crisp, blanched bok choy or lettuce for a vibrant visual and textural contrast. It is a dish almost exclusively reserved for momentous occasions, high-end banquets, and Lunar New Year feasts.
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For the “Top 31 Chinese Seafood Dishes” list until July 15, 2026, 524 ratings were recorded, of which 433 were recognized by the system as legitimate.
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