I was looking through my QingDao photos, and noticed just how many of them were of tanks of seafood.
Walking around QingDao you just can't avoid the tanks and buckets of seafood. This one is at one end of Pi Chai Yuan, downtown QingDao's food street:
Every large restaurant has tanks of live fish and seafood. Some of which are very large.
The smaller restaurants, like those near to QingDao Bay have tubs of seafood out for potential customers to check out.
There's quite a variety.... want razor clams? No problem.
The Missus did tell me that it's not quite like when She was growing up. She has told me stories of mantis shrimp being sold from giant piles on the street. I was told that there's a greater variety available nowadays.
Locals are very discerning, which is why, for example, you'll always see the crab displayed this way where the locals shop.
The females are much more desirable, since there's the possibility that they'll be carrying eggs. The odds become better during the fall, though there are those who can tell by just one look.
I had wanted to call this post "水果海" but the Missus told me that no one would understand the term "fruits of the sea" in Mandarin. I will say that the waters around QingDao is without a doubt fruitful, it is shellfish heaven. Which takes me back to a quote in my first post on our visit to QingDao, where I was told "Oh, man, you're going to love the seafood.... you're going to looooove the seafood!"
That's all for today.........
I hope everyone is having a great Fourth of July long weekend!
that is a LOT of seafood, happy 4th!
Posted by: kat | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 12:32 AM
those are some beautiful pictures! what's that stuff two pictures down from the crabs? is that uni? hope you had a good 4th!
Posted by: sawyer | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 07:24 AM
all that seafood and not one ramekin of cocktail sauce in sight!
Posted by: Chris | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 07:42 AM
Hi Kat - There's an amazing amount of seafood in QingDao!
Hi Sawyer - Yes, that's uni.
Hi Chris - LOL! This stuff is so good, you won't need cocktail sauce!
Posted by: Kirk | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 10:41 AM
try wait until the BP disaster really starts to affect the US seafood supply. We'd be shopping from the same market.
Posted by: RONW | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 12:47 PM
Yum female crabs are the best.
Posted by: bill | Monday, 05 July 2010 at 09:02 PM
Hi RONW - Have checked where your seafood is coming from now? You don't have to wait....
Hi Billy - Yes..... eggs.... mmmm
Posted by: Kirk | Tuesday, 06 July 2010 at 07:33 AM
Da-yum...that's some seafood market!
Foreign seafood markets always have seafood I've never seen at the markets here. It both freaks me out and intrigues me. Sea animals are funky looking....
Posted by: Rosa | Tuesday, 06 July 2010 at 07:37 AM
Hi Rosa - There was a staggering variety of shellfish.
Posted by: Kirk | Wednesday, 07 July 2010 at 07:47 AM
Yummy Seafood!!!! yes!!!
www.bazaarofserendipity.blogspot.com
Posted by: gina | Thursday, 15 July 2010 at 09:54 AM
Hi Gina - Yes, tons of yummy seafood.
Posted by: Kirk | Thursday, 15 July 2010 at 04:34 PM