The Hierarchy of Chinese Seafood Consumption: How Did This Province Rise to the Top?

The earliest seafood eaters along China's coast,

Finally, after a long fishing moratorium, the waters off Zhoushan, Zhejiang, opened for fishing at the beginning of last month. Boatloads of East China Sea swimming crabs landed in Zhoushan and were shipped nationwide. Zhoushan swimming crabs are renowned across the country for their plump meat and sweet, fresh flavor. During the crab season, whenever fishing boats return to the docks, crowds of buyers swarm the vessels, instantly clearing out baskets of crabs.

The fishing season is open! Baskets of plump swimming crabs.

But the August swimming crabs are just the vanguard of Zhejiang's seafood universe. The real feast begins in September when the East China Sea fully opens for fishing—ribbonfish, pomfrets, small yellow croakers, cuttlefish, squid, eels, sauries... Thousands of seafood varieties take turns hitting the market, staying fresh until the following spring.

Not only is the variety vast, but in Zhejiang, everyone can enjoy seafood, regardless of budget. There are thousand-yuan yellow croakers served in Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as street-side fried "bubble shrimp" piled high with fresh prawns for just a few yuan each. Zhejiang's seafood cuisine balances boldness and finesse. Take swimming crabs: Zhoushan locals cook them plain, dry-fried in a pan, while Ningbo people across the bay marinate them raw and chop them into 18 pieces, ensuring each slice has evenly distributed bright red crab roe—a dish called "Eighteen Cuts," incredibly鲜美.

Swimming crabs alone have hundreds of preparations in Zhejiang.

Fig. 1 Photo/Wu Xuewen Fig. 2 Photo/Jiang Jiang

With Liaoning's Bohai Sea to the north, Shandong's Yellow Sea, and Hainan's South China Sea, Zhejiang isn’t the first place people think of for seafood. Yet Zhejiang boasts China’s largest fishing ground, the Zhoushan Fishing Ground. Its 260,000-square-kilometer maritime area ensures its ribbonfish and swimming crab catches far exceed second-place regions by double, firmly ranking first nationally.

It’s time to rediscover Zhejiang, this hidden seafood powerhouse.

Yellow croaker, mud crab, octopus, mussels,

The earliest place in China to eat seafood,

A 2013 typhoon unearthed a trove of ancient seafood remnants at Zhejiang’s Jingtoushan site in Ningbo. Excavations revealed thousands of baskets of marine shells—clams, snails, oysters, razor clams, and oysters larger than an adult’s palm. Dating confirmed these finds to around 8,000 years old. According to Sun Guoping, the site’s lead archaeologist, "Zhejiang’s ancestors were likely China’s earliest coastal seafood eaters." Ningbo can thus be called China’s earliest seafood city.

In this sense, Zhejiang stands at the pinnacle of China’s seafood history. Later, traces of seafood consumption were also found in the brilliant Hemudu and Liangzhu cultures. Dense waterways and abundant marine life laid the foundation for Zhejiang’s prosperity. Today, advanced aquaculture and ultra-efficient logistics let Zhejiang supply the nation with seafood abundance...

Zhejiang lies along China’s southeastern coast, with a 2,254-km mainland coastline stretching from Jinsiniang Bridge in Pinghu to Hutoubi in Cangnan—the fourth longest nationally. Seven coastal prefectures (Jiaxing, Hangzhou, Shaoxing, Zhoushan, Ningbo, Taizhou, Wenzhou) account for over half the province’s cities. Zhejiang also has China’s most islands: 3,059 over 500 sq.m, ~44% of the national total.

Zhejiang’s coast has long been famed for seafood. Ming-era records like the 1498 Wenzhou Prefecture Chronicle note local tributes of aquatic products since Song-Yuan times, including yellow croakers, bombay ducks, and yellowfin bream. Today, Zhejiang offers both wild catches rooted in East Sea traditions and farmed seafood—fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, and seaweed—delighting every palate.

Zhoushan swimming crab, Sanmen mud crab,

Zhejiang leads China in swimming crab catches, with tiny Zhoushan—the province’s smallest land-area city—dominating the haul. Zhoushan crabs start harvesting in early August, nearly a month earlier than Bohai/Yellow Sea crabs. Their flesh is distinctly sweet, especially when freshly landed.

Zhejiang has countless crab recipes: raw marinade, scallion-ginger stir-fry, rice cake stir-fry, oil-blanched. But locals最爱 dry-frying them plain—no water, just 15 minutes in a pan. As Zhoushan folks say, "Premium ingredients need only the simplest cooking."

Swimming crabs are exquisitely fresh, needing minimal seasoning.

Beyond swimming crabs, Taizhou’s Sanmen County offers an even more sublime crab: the Sanmen mud crab. Unlike deep-sea swimmers, mud crabs dwell in tidal mudflats, their meat carrying a grassy aroma and mild brine. Their crowning glory? The roe—glossy red, luxuriantly rich.

The most enticing part of the mud crab is its crab roe.

The mud crab has many names. In ancient times, it was called "you mou." Duan Chengshi, a Tang Dynasty novelist, wrote in *Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang*: "The you mou can grow over a foot long, with extremely strong claws. In August, it can even fight a tiger—and the tiger is no match." But the mud crab's more famous name is its evolved version: the butter crab.

The butter crab is actually a female mud crab. Under specific weather and conditions, the crab roe inside its body decomposes into golden oil, gradually permeating every part until the entire crab is filled with "butter." This creates the butter crab. In nature, only four or five butter crabs emerge from a thousand mud crabs. Top-tier butter crabs are entirely golden, with even their joints translucent. When steamed, their rich roe oozes out, and even their legs turn golden. They are the pinnacle of Chinese crabs.

The butter crab is so saturated with oil that even its legs are soaked in it.

Photo/Documentary *Once Upon a Bite 2*

From the expensive large yellow croaker to the gleaming hairtail,

No one can count how many types of fish Zhejiang has—conger eel, Spanish mackerel, angel shark, guitarfish, yellowfin, mudskipper—each one delicious.

But the most famous, and most regrettable, is undoubtedly the large yellow croaker. It has long been a traditional fish along Zhejiang's coast. In 1974, the Zhoushan fishing grounds set a historical record with an annual catch of 168,100 tons. Back then, the fish were abundant and cheap, with wild croaker costing just five or six cents per pound. But due to overfishing, wild croaker nearly vanished by the late 1980s. Today, a single wild croaker costs at least thousands, sometimes tens of thousands.

Farmed large yellow croaker, though less flavorful, is more affordable.

The charm of wild croaker lies in its exquisite taste and firm, sticky texture that holds up even after long stewing. Despite the high price, many are willing to splurge for this delicacy. In recent years, Zhejiang's coastal areas have begun farming croaker. Though fattier and slightly less sticky, making it prone to falling apart when stewed, its moderate price satisfies cravings.

Almost everyone in China has tasted Zhejiang hairtail. During the planned economy era, vast quantities of hairtail from the East China Sea were shipped nationwide. It's no exaggeration to say that many inlanders' first taste of seafood was Zhejiang hairtail. The standard Zhejiang hairtail is "three small and one thick"—small in size, head, and eyes, but thick in flesh. Though smaller than Southeast Asian hairtail, its meat is firmer, finer, and incredibly delicious.

Even among East China Sea hairtail, what Zhejiang people eat differs vastly from inlanders'. The reason is simple: hairtail is a deep-sea fish that dies quickly out of water, requiring frozen storage and transport. Zhejiang's geographic advantage allows locals to enjoy freshly caught hairtail, its skin still gleaming gold—adding another layer of freshness.

The hairtail Zhejiang people eat is so fresh it still has its golden scales.

Mussels, mud snails, razor clams, blood clams, oysters—

Zhejiang's coast is crisscrossed with rivers, carrying sediment and organic matter into its waters, forming world-famous fishing grounds and nurturing various shellfish along the mudflats. Reports note 614 shellfish species along Zhejiang's coast. Mussels, mud snails, razor clams, blood clams, and oysters—whether stir-fried with chili, scallion-oiled, souped, or dried—provide the daily umami for Zhejiang locals.

In Zhejiang hands, each shellfish has its perfect preparation: small clams and razor clams shine in scallion oil as drinking snacks, larger mud snails are best drunken for rice, and plump mussels are often dried for soups.

Zhejiang's array of delicious small seafood.

Also hidden in the mudflats is a small octopus called "wangchao." "Wangchao has a crisp, tender, springy texture—the East China Sea fishermen's proud signature dish," as *A Bite of China* once described it. Zhejiang's wangchao is mostly from Xiangshan, a renowned small seafood hub. At low tide, digging for wangchao in the mudflats is a summer pastime for locals.

Digging for wangchao, eating wangchao—Zhejiang's joys of life and flavor.

Photo/Documentary *A Bite of China*

Wenzhou's Three-Shredded Knocked Fish, Taizhou's Yuhuan Fish Noodles, Ningbo's Eighteen Cuts,

Which part of Zhejiang makes the best seafood?

From Zhejiang's geographical location, natural environment, and resources, the province primarily features three distinct culinary styles: the Hang-Jia-Hu Plain cuisine, the Qu-Jin-Li mountainous cuisine, and the Wen-Tai-Yong coastal seafood cuisine. Although Wenzhou, Taizhou, and Ningbo are all coastal cities sharing the same sea, their historical and culinary differences result in unique ways of preparing seafood.

A hearty bowl of seafood noodles is a daily staple for Zhejiang locals.

Wenzhou people take seafood refinement to the extreme.

Wenzhou has long been a vital port city. During the Han Dynasty, the Ouyue people established the Dong'ou Kingdom here, giving rise to "Ou Cuisine," one of Zhejiang's four major culinary styles, alongside Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shaoxing cuisines.

Ou Cuisine often features seafood, emphasizing light yet flavorful tastes. Its cooking techniques focus on "two lights and one heavy": light oil, light thickening, and heavy knife skills. The most iconic dishes are the "Three Treasures of Ou Cuisine": Three-Shredded Knocked Fish, Embroidered Fish Shreds, and Stir-Fried Cuttlefish Blossoms. Three-Shredded Knocked Fish, in particular, involves pounding fish meat with starch into translucent slices, which are then simmered in broth—appearing delicate but bursting with umami.

"Knocking" is Wenzhou's unique cooking method.

Raw seafood is another Wenzhou favorite. The most distinctive is "Jiangxiesheng" (raw marinated crab), where live swimming crabs are frozen, marinated, and chopped. The best pieces are those brimming with red roe. Once frozen, the crab meat detaches easily, offering a smooth, ice-cream-like texture.

Wenzhou's love for raw marinated blood clams resembles that of Chaoshan people.

Ningbo, with its hundreds of islands and proximity to the Zhoushan fishing grounds, boasts abundant seafood. Ningbo cuisine, or "Yongbang Cuisine," is famed for its harmony of freshness and saltiness. Dishes like Clam and Yellow Croaker Soup, Chicken with Dried Yellow Croaker, and Steamed Yellow Croaker with Shrimp Sauce exemplify this, but the standout is Salted Mustard Greens with Yellow Croaker Soup.

Salted mustard greens, made from pickled potherb mustard, are a Ningbo winter staple. For locals, they embody the soul of Ningbo's salty flavors, while yellow croaker represents umami. Combining the two creates a dish so delicious it "drops your eyebrows."

Yellow Croaker with Pickled Vegetables—so fresh it drops your eyebrows.

Photo/Xin Yang, Image/Tuchong Creative

Ningbo is also famous for its chewy rice cakes, which can be stewed with yellow croaker or stir-fried with crab, soaking up all the local umami.

The essence of Taizhou seafood lies in its snacks.

Sandwiched between Wenzhou and Ningbo, Taizhou cuisine isn't one of Zhejiang's four major styles. Yet, once-overlooked Taizhou restaurants, led by the high-end brand Xin Rong Ji, have recently dominated gourmet rankings.

Crispy "Pao Xia" stuffed with fresh shrimp.

But Taizhou locals care little for accolades—their seafood abundance is overwhelming. You don’t need a luxury restaurant; local snacks deliver plenty of surprises. "Shibing" wraps shrimp and fish, hiding umami in everyday bites. Rice noodles simmer with tidal flat treasures like mudskippers, clams, and octopus, offering a Taizhou feast. Even seaweed from the flats becomes crispy, savory "seaweed cakes."

With National Day approaching, if you're undecided on a destination, I highly recommend Zhejiang.

Photo by NoNo's Little Gulu