Shagang braised pig head meat. [Photo provided to en.nantong.gov.cn]

When the first rays of morning sunlight touch the Lixiahe Plain, the streets and alleys of Hai'an, a county-level city in Nantong, awaken with the scent of life.

In this ancient city where the Yangtze River and Yellow Sea converge, three culinary treasures, honed by time, await discovery: Zhongqiu river shrimp paste, Lipu stone-milled sesame oil, and Shagang braised pig head meat.

In the rivers and bays of Hai'an, there exists a tiny creature even smaller than a sesame seed—the river shrimp. These delicate beings demand pristine freshwater environments. During the Mid-Autumn season, fishermen set out at 2 am to catch them, sorting and cooking them within three hours to retain their fleeting freshness.

Jiang Zhongqiu insists on traditional cooking methods, relying on decades of experience to control the heat. As the amber sauce ripples in the pot, the perfect fusion of astaxanthin and amino acids creates a flavor so fresh it tingles the tongue. Today, this heritage, combined with high-temperature sterilization technology, has allowed river shrimp paste to travel from fishing villages to tables nationwide, becoming an all-purpose seasoning. Whether mixed with noodles, used as a dip for pancakes, or added to tofu dishes, one spoonful is transformative.

In the old workshops of Lipu town, carefully selected white sesame seeds undergo an eight-step process, releasing their purest aroma under the pressure of bluestone. This technique, dating back to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), preserves the sesame's vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids, resulting in an amber hue where every drop is pure essence. Whether as the finishing touch on a cold dish or an aromatic enhancement while baking, this sesame oil is the secret weapon in the kitchens of Hai'an homemakers.

At Xu Zhengjiang's home in Shagang village, the old braising broth has been simmering for a century. Passed down from his grandfather Xu Qinghua, the recipe includes 28 Chinese herbs and a whole chicken, slow-cooked over a low flame for four hours until the pig head meat becomes tender and falls off the bone, rich yet not greasy. During festivals, the aroma of Shagang braised pig head meat fills the streets. Locals enjoy it cold sliced or hot served: cold, it is chewy and resilient; hot, it melts in the mouth.