Charcoal-Grilled Bohai Prawns

Charcoal-grilled Bohai prawns are among the most representative seafood dishes of the Qinhuangdao coast, using prawns from the Bohai Gulf grilled over charcoal so the shell turns fragrant and the meat stays springy and sweet, the headline dish of the seafood stalls along Beidaihe and Nanbeidaihe.

Qinhuangdao rises from the Yanshan mountains to the Bohai Sea, long favoured for its fish and salt; the prawns of the Bohai Gulf are large, thick-fleshed and sweet. Fishermen and seaside stalls grill them over plain charcoal to seal in the freshness, and the dish has become a hallmark of the local coastal diet.

The prawns are grilled on skewers or over a net whole, dusted with coarse salt, cumin and chilli, then eaten hot, shells peeled and juices sucked, most satisfying with cold beer on a summer night at the seaside stalls.

The size and richness of the Bohai prawn, the charred fragrant shell from the charcoal, and the sweet springy meat within are what define this grilled dish.