Procedures of making dried Decapterus maruadsi (You Ze'nan, Yang Chao/Ptnet.cn)

To the people of Pingtan, the Mackerel scad, also known as the Decapterus Maruadsi is a perfect delicacy filled with many wonderful childhood memories. Decades have passed and life have changed, but the fondness of the locals for this particular delicacy remains unchanged. Even to this day, some villagers on Dongxiang Island still stick to the traditional way of drying mackerel scad to preserve the unique flavor and aroma of the fish.

Making dried mackerel scad is a tedious work that requires complex steps. First, pour the fish into a big bucket, add some salt and wash them carefully for no less than three times. Then, fish out the clean fish onto a strainer to filter out the water. After the water is drained out, coat each fish with a good amount of salt and leave the fish for an hour to let it pickle. During the pickling process, it's best to put the fish onto a sieve to avoid them from becoming bitter. Then rinse the pickled fish in fresh water and cboil them in a wok for another 10 minutes. After boiling, the meat of the fresh mackerel scad will become firm and flavourful. Now, you can smell the fishy aroma even from afar, since the salt could give the fish a more refined savory taste. Lastly, dry the boiled fish under the sun for about three days and the dried fish should be refrigerated to maintain its freshness for a better taste.

Chen Xiang contributed to this report.