Many foreign friends go to Zhanjiang to eat seafood, generally only order fish, shrimp and crabs, but Zhanjiang local friends often recommend them a strange bug - sandworm. Speaking of sandworms, Zhanjiang people will swallow just by hearing the name, the appearance is indeed ugly, but the taste is delicious and crisp, what abalone wings belly is not as delicious as their delicious, but it is much cheaper than the abalone wing belly, how can it not be popular?
Yongxiang sandworm soup
Sandworms are a type of "star worm". What is a "Star Bug"? Starworms are marine benthic animals, living in the sediment of the seabed, about 300 species, the body wall of star insects is similar to that of link animals (earthworms, locusts, water clams, etc.), and it looks similar to insects (called "sea intestines" in the north). In fact, starworms are a little closer to the sea worms, which are very different from the animals on land, and the earthworms that look very close to the sandworms are even more different from the sandworms! Human sandworms are at least hermaphroditic, and have nothing to do with hermaphrodite earthworms!
However, due to the lack of popularity of science in the past, there is still a legend about sandworms and earthworms. Sandworms and earthworms are both doing soil loosening work, and sandworms feel that their bodies are short and small, not the material for this aspect, and want to change careers and seek development. One day to the sea near the loose soil, sand worms drilled to the sea to understand the situation, the result of the tide rose, can no longer find a way back. Since then, sand worms have burrowed into the seashore and inhabited, changed from swallowing mud to swallowing sand, and have been painstakingly refined into people's favorite food.
Sandworms are generally 5–10 cm long, and the largest living individuals are the size of a middle finger. The high tide drills out of the hole, the low tide shrinks, and the outside of the hole is covered by a water film, leaving behind excreted sand grains. The coastal masses of Zhanjiang have long mastered the characteristics of sandworms for catching. When the tide sets, groups of women and children, carrying bamboo baskets and hoes, come to the beach and dig up sandworms everywhere.
Experienced people dig sandworms, never trample on the edge of the cave, alarm the sensitive sandworms to flee, but find the hole, follow the hole with a hoe, and get it in one fell swoop. The master can dig 3-5 kg a day. Sandworms can generally be maintained for 3-5 days without death, in the past, farmers along the coast of Zhanjiang were reluctant to eat sandworms dug up, and gathered together to sell, and make up for their livelihood.
Caotan Town, Suixi County, 88 kilometers away from Zhanjiang City, is known as the "First Sandworm Township". The coastline of Caotan Town is 23.5 kilometers long, with 23,000 mu of intertidal beach tu, nearly 15,000 mu of intertidal beach tutu that can be developed and used for aquaculture, and vast shallow and deep beach tummies that have not been fully developed, with a total area of 120,000 mu, and the development of marine aquaculture has a superior natural environment. There are 12 aquatic seed farms such as sandworms, shellfish and shrimp, of which sandworms are used as key development breeding bases, and the breeding area has reached 20,000 mu, and 30 of the 300 households are sandworm buyers.
Grass pond fishermen dig up sandworms
Zhanjiang locals have always believed that sandworms are good things, such as postpartum women in order to have enough milk to feed children, more will use some medicinal materials or pig's trotters and other ingredients to cook sandworm soup; children often urinate at night, after drinking sandworm porridge for a period of time, the situation will be greatly improved; Zhanjiang people often say that sandworms can supplement kidneys and prolong life. When the moon is at its fullest along the coast, sandworms that mate with the shallow sea surface caught in the moonlight are the most effective in tonifying the kidneys and aphrodisiacs. This sandworm is difficult to catch and is only used when the drug is introduced and does not appear in the market.
Sandworms can only grow in a non-polluting environment, and edible sandworms are limited to females because of their fresh taste and crisp taste. From November to February, it is the time when the sandworms are at their fattest, and it is the most delicious to eat at this time. Sandworm meat is tender and fresh, mellow and refreshing, with a unique flavor, and is known as "natural monosodium glutamate". Zhanjiang sandworms, the flesh is thick and tender, the taste is fresh and sweet, crisp and chewy, the more chewy, the fresher, the aftertaste is endless and praised. Steamed, blanched, stir-fried, boiled soup or boiled porridge, a variety of sandworm delicacies have also become the signature dishes of Zhanjiang Restaurant Restaurant. At today's banquet, sandworms have become a famous dish that cannot be separated from, and they are not greasy to eat, often sandworms come to the table, and they are quickly eaten, which shows the delicious charm of sandworms.
Eating sandworms, sand clearing is an important part, and there is no room for sloppiness. Use bamboo chopsticks from the end of the sandworm to make it turn outward, and scrub it with water to remove sand, impurities and internal organs, which is commonly known as the "sandworm" process. Whether it is fresh sandworms or dried sandworms, you can make very delicious dishes, which is due to the fact that the sandworms themselves have the characteristics of fresh and delicious, whether it is vermicelli, potato vermicelli or winter melon, golden melon, cucumber, leek, radish and other vegetables, as long as a few sandworms are added, the taste becomes different, so the sandworm is "natural MSG", which is the essence of the sea. Steaming sandworms with garlic vermicelli is the most classic method of Zhanjiang sandworms, and the garlic aroma is integrated with the deliciousness of the sandworms, and even the vermicelli is full of aroma.
Steamed sandworms with minced garlic
Although sandworms are the top seafood delicacies in the minds of Zhanjiang people, outsiders who see sandworms for the first time are all frightened. Because the sandworm is like a blister-swollen red and black earthworm, it is disgusting to see, let alone eat. However, after turning the sand, the sand worms will look a lot better when cooked, white and pure, and the food is very fresh, and over time, the foreigners in Zhanjiang have also fallen in love with eating sand worms, and they will think about it without eating for a few days.
Sandworms are made into dried products, called dried sandworms. Zhanjiang's dried sandworms, known for its golden color, fragrant aroma, excellent quality and fresh taste, enjoys a high reputation in the Markets of Guangzhou, Macau and Hong Kong, and is a good gift and a delicacy. Eating dried sandworms should pay attention to a key point to remove sand: first use scissors to cut the sandworms dry, and then use a toothbrush to brush the sand inside, do not wet water. Then heat the iron pot red, do not put oil, put the sandworms in the pot and fry until golden brown. At this time, you can put the sand worms in the bowl, quickly wash with water, you can brush a little, and there will be sand sinking to the bottom. When cooking soup or porridge, fish out the sand worms and pour the water of the sand worms into the soup to cook together, avoiding the sand at the bottom of the bowl. This is the basic way to get sandworms without sand.
Note: Do not stir-fry the unspeaked sandworms directly soaked or make soup porridge, no fried sandworms dry taste is not out, do not waste food, whether to make soup, boiling porridge, pepper salt need to be dried sandworms first fried until golden brown.
Dried salt and pepper worms
With the great increase in demand for sandworms, in recent years, people have vigorously developed artificially farmed sandworms. Breeding sandworms in suitable sites generally does not need to be fed, does not require special management, and can be seeded all year round, from the beginning to june. Well farmed, 60-70 days, 80 up to 1 kg, 8-9 months can be harvested, the general total yield is 4 times the total weight of the seedlings. Due to the low cost and fast harvest, it is a very stimulating investment in aquaculture, but the geology is very strict and exquisite, and it can only look at the beach and sigh. Zhanjiang's artificially farmed sandworms are best in suixi county's lower six towns, and are famous all over the world.
About Zhanjiang sandworm, what do you want to say, welcome to leave a message to discuss! (Some of the materials in this article have been originally authorized by Zhanjiang folk historian Luo Guohe)