Mysid shrimps are mashed. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

"A table full of delicacies can't compare to a bite of mysid shrimp." In the taste memory of the Hai'an people, mysid shrimp paste is undoubtedly an indispensable delicacy on the dining table.

Mysid shrimp is a pure, wild, God-given delicacy with extremely high water quality requirements. They are mainly found in the rivers of Hai'an and Dongtai, a city under the jurisdiction of Yancheng.

Since they cannot survive out of water, mysid shrimp must be caught around 2 am and sold or processed within three hours, or they will spoil and disintegrate.

For many discerning gourmets, mysid shrimp paste is fresh and salty, making it a top-notch accompaniment to noodles or steamed buns. For native Hai'an residents, the long call of "selling mysid shrimps" can instantly bring back memories of childhood taste.

Canned mysid shrimp paste. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

"When I was a child living in the village, whenever someone was selling mysid shrimps, my grandma would buy a spoonful, fry it in oil, and add some bean paste. The aroma was unforgettable!" said a lady surnamed Chen, who works in Shanghai. Her childhood memories are filled with the fresh fragrance of mysid shrimp paste, and now, whenever she returns to her hometown, she brings back a few jars. She even enjoys it spread on toast.

Lin Aijun and his wife Tang Haixia, masters of the Hai'an Xiayizhan Food Factory's mysid shrimp paste, have been engaging in the business for many years. In 2016, they scaled up this local delicacy for mass production and registered the "Xiayizhan" brand in 2018.

Mysid shrimp are highly nutritious, rich in protein, calcium, zinc, and other trace elements. When processed into paste, it becomes a delicious condiment. How can they innovate with such a highly rated ingredient?

"We aim to find the original taste of food, with no added preservatives, purely handmade, to rediscover simple yet safe pleasures," said Lin.

In his view, to achieve great flavor, the mysid shrimp must be fresh, and they must be simmered over low heat. "We control the moisture content of our paste to around 40 percent. This way, the shrimp remain chewy rather than dry," Lin revealed.

Furthermore, no preservatives are added to the mysid shrimp paste. After being placed in the vacuum bottling machine, it undergoes a vacuum sterilization process. The introduction of high-temperature sterilization technology has extended the shelf life of Xiayizhan mysid shrimp paste from three months to 12 months, making industrialization and large-scale production possible.