Dried oyster
Whole oysters cooked and sun-dried into flat coppery discs; the semi-dried, plumper grade is sold as golden oysters (gam hou). Soaked and rinsed of grit, they give soups and braises a concentrated, almost smoky oyster richness. Their name puns on 'good market', making them essential to Lunar New Year dishes with dried mushroom and black moss.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet、salty Meridians · liver、kidney
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy it is used to nourish yin, replenish blood and calm the spirit, and it is traditionally noted as rich in zinc.
Cautions: read first
- High in purines, so those with gout should avoid it, especially during a flare
- High in sodium
- Avoid if you are allergic to seafood
Preparation
Soak and rinse out the grit (30 minutes or more); the sun-dried golden oysters (金蠔) are the ones to pick.
Origin · Geo-authentic (道地) source
Shajing in Shenzhen (Shajing oysters and golden oysters are the authentic ones); Hiroshima in Japan supplies the premium grade. Australian retail spans common grocer lines (origins unstated) to specialist Japanese grades at dried-seafood shops
Availability in Australia
Easy to find
