In most cases, baby oysters are attached to the rope and lowered into the sea around April and May. They are usually ready for harvest after 180 days, but Putien only collects the oysters that have been cultivated for more than 300 days.
According to chef Li Wenbo, who was born and raised in Putian, the six special oyster season dishes are a mixture of traditional Putian dishes and creative, contemporary concoctions developed by the chefs at Putien.
"Oysters are a typical ingredient of Putian, and they're much smaller, but fresher and sweeter than their French counterparts," Li says.
The most traditional preparation is oyster egg pancakes－the oyster is pan-fried with the egg pancake mix for five minutes until the edge of the pancake is crisp and the oyster inside is cooked.
"The pot must be hot and the oil must be cold when it's added. That's the trick to making the pancake," Li says.
To pair with the pancake, Li whips up a special chili sauce, which is an in-house recipe featuring dozens of spices.
Oyster soup is another traditional dish that Li's family would make at home each winter. A spoonful of white vinegar and ground pepper is the magic ingredient that gives the soup a pop of flavor.
Nori and rice noodle are also signature ingredients of Putian. Adding nori to fried oyster egg pancake makes the dish softer and fresher. This year, Putien launches a new dish: Oyster rice noodle and egg pancake－adding the rice noodle, which is as thin as hair, gives the pancake an appealing toothsome texture.
"I grew up eating these dishes and now I'm proud to be able to share the flavors of my youth with others," he says.
