Drying (dehydration) is one of the traditional food preservation methods. This old method is still commonly used by fishermen in Hong Kong.
The above photos were taken by me during a neighbourhood outing to Cheung Chau. The fishermen dried the fishes and shrimps under the sun before packing and selling them to the tourists. The dried fishes and shrimps looked artistic on the drying board.
In the old days, fishermen dried the unsold seafood before it went bad. They would either sell the dried seafood or consumed it themselves when the weather was not fit for fishing.
Although the refrigeration method is more suitable for preserving fresh seafood and is readily available at reasonable costs, dried seafood has become a popular traditional food in itself as time goes by - it is no longer treated as a substitute or reserved food.
We steam the dried seafood (adding some oil on top of it) before serving it on the dining table - yummy!
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