The Chinese have a special category for freshwater creatures that does not exist in English: hexian (‘river delicacies’), the freshwater equivalent of the category of seafood, haixian (‘sea delicacies’). Perhaps none among them is so adored as the mitten or hairy crab eulogized so memorably by the playwright Li Yu. Fish and seafood are also dried, salted and, in some places, made into fermented condiments. The dried salted seafish of Zhejiang (xiang) lends its assertively pungent aroma and profound savouriness to stews and steamed dishes. Other umami seasonings include dried shrimp eggs and
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