Chaoshan-style marinated raw seafood is a dish made primarily with seafood and belongs to the Chaoshan culinary tradition. Fresh, delicate, and full-flavored, it highlights the natural taste of the ingredients. Raw marination is a practice unique to fishermen and preserves the seafood's "freshness" to the greatest extent.

In earlier times, the people of Chaoshan relied on fishing for their livelihood. Even when rare catches were brought in, practical limitations meant that only the most basic methods, such as curing with coarse salt or blanching in boiling water, could be used for "rough processing." These processing methods, shaped by life at sea, have been passed down through generations and have become a philosophy of simplicity at the heart of Chaoshan cuisine.

Marinated raw seafood typically includes shrimp, crab, spotted babylon snails, snow clams, and other aquatic products. Instead of being fully cooked, the seafood is cured with high-proof liquor, then combined with accompaniments such as cilantro and minced garlic. After refrigeration, it is ready to be eaten directly.

This method of raw marination can be traced back to the Song dynasty. Song scholar Gao Sisun recorded the practice of eating raw crab, referred to as "raw crab," in Crab Survey.

To this day, residents of the Chaoshan region continue maintaining the habit of eating marinated raw seafood. What they seek is a texture that is "fresh but not fishy, tender but not raw," believing raw marination to be the best way to handle seafood.

Tips

For first-time tasters, it is recommended to start with shrimp, such as Jiwei prawns, or shellfish, like blood clams, which are easier on the digestive system. Avoid eating on an empty stomach; you may have half a bowl of plain congee beforehand to prepare your stomach. It is also advisable to have warm salt water ready for rinsing your mouth afterward to soothe the spiciness from the garlic and spice.