appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Tan Pin Yen

Waist-deep in the heart of a vast, 3,290-acre (1,330-hectare) mudflat, I plunge my arm into the glistening sludge, my fingers sifting through the cool, dense muck until I feel a sharp shell.
“There, see those?” says a woman in her fifties, her cheeks dusted with freckles, as she gestures to tiny breathing holes dotting the slick mud.
I hold up my prize, but she shakes her head, takes it and cracks it open to reveal an empty shell. Then, in one smooth motion, she reaches back into the mud, pulls out a fat, wriggling razor clam and tosses it into the bamboo basket strapped to my waist.
In Duotou, a village in China’s Fujian province where the Mulan River meets the sea, deliciousness comes after a struggle, and listening with your hands.

The village comes alive every year as spring gives way to summer and its prized Duotou razor clams reach their peak sweetness and plumpness. More than 20,000 tons of these marine molluscs are harvested there each year.
The clams owe their superior quality to the high salinity of Xinghua Bay’s waters and the seabed’s ancient, nutrient-dense mud, which is teeming with algae and organic matter. Under these unique conditions, they grow up to 6cm (2.4 inches) and are said to be sweeter than those found anywhere else.
“After scattering seedlings each winter, farmers wait five months before wading into the flats at dawn, sinking waist-deep in mud to hand-harvest each clam,” says Fong Chi-chung, founder of Putien Restaurant Group, who led us on a harvest expedition to Putian in early April.
“Clams burrow 30cm deep to absorb nutrients, so farmers need to dig with care to preserve the natural environment for future generations. It requires back-breaking effort for two hours just to yield one bucket,” he adds.

Farmers in Duotou have reared the special razor clams for more than 600 years. These days, the clams are supplied to the Putien Restaurant Group – the official ambassador of Duotou clams – which serves them at its 80-odd restaurants across Asia, including in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.
After my muddy initiation, I step back ashore, where the freshly harvested clams are dusted in sweet potato flour before being plunged into an umami broth.
Putian, a coastal city with 3 million people, is a hidden gem not far from Hong Kong. It is framed by the Fujian capital Fuzhou to the north, Quanzhou to the south, and the sparkling Taiwan Strait to the east.
The city birthed influential clans such as the Lin, Chen and Huang, descendants of whom became entrepreneurs across Asia.

Putian’s metamorphosis from a Qing dynasty shoe-repair hub to the “Footwear Capital of the World” is legendary: global sportswear giant Anta began in these very streets.
The Putian people are known for their business acumen and influence in shaping industries beyond their ancestral shores, and the same resourcefulness that built businesses also shaped Putian’s food culture.
The city’s flood-prone soils historically yielded only hardy staples like sweet potatoes and peanuts – earning the region its nickname “Sweet Potato County” – so cooks had to get creative.
Today, the city is known for its homely, umami-rich seafood dishes.
Humble spots such as Ah Mei Soy Milk Fried Noodles (No. 15, Daxiang Lane, Qingnian Street, Baowei Road, Hanjiang district) represent the soul of Putian’s food scene.
For 30 years, this stall has been serving up the ultimate local breakfast: Xinghua vermicelli stir-fried in fresh soy milk and served with pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, leek and egg fried in peanut oil.
Xinghua vermicelli – considered the world’s earliest instant noodle – dates back to the Song dynasty (960-1279), when it catered to labourers building the Mulan Dam who needed quick, portable meals.
But the preparation method for the now-famous breakfast – stir-frying the noodles in soy milk – emerged later, during the 17th century.

Fong recommends Fen Tang Qiang Vietnamese Rice Noodles (Chigang Overseas Chinese Farm Market, Zhonggang Lane, Hanjiang district) for a Putian twist on pho.
The stall swaps beef for house-made sausages and pork in a bone broth simmered overnight. But the real treat is its freshly steamed rice noodles, which are made from early-harvest grains and hand-cut to order.
Old Putian Pan-Fried Buns (No. 260, Gongxia Road, Hanjiang district) is a Putian street-food legend. Its made-to-order golden-bottomed buns are fried to crispy perfection and contain juicy fillings that change with the seasons – cabbage in the spring and radish in the winter. They are best eaten piping hot from the griddle.

Restaurants across Putian serve Putian lu mian, a braised noodle dish featuring a rich broth of pork, shellfish and seasonal greens that is a staple in various festivals and banquets.
This dish arrived in Putian centuries ago with immigrants from China’s Central Plains, who blended their noodle-making traditions with ingredients from Putian’s mountains and sea.
Xi Tian Wei Zu Chuan Bian Shi (No. 1421 Xueyuan South Street, Xitianwei Market, Licheng district) serves bian rou tang, a delicate soup with wontons made of yanpi – paper-thin square wrappers made from pounded meat and sweet potato flour.

For a hearty feast, Fong highly recommends Hong Family Restaurant (No. 19, Xiyong, Xiangfeng, Xitianwei, Licheng district) for its signature ginger-steamed duck.
“Locals believe this potent dish boosts vitality and is good for boys who are coming of age,” he says.
“The duck is dry-steamed with no water, letting its juices condense into a flavourful, nutrient-dense broth, while the meat turns out tender and succulent.”

No exploration of Putian’s food scene is complete without trying mazu mee sua (long, silky wheat threads) or xiao zi geng (a velvety braised tofu dish).
Xiao zi geng was created during the Song dynasty to nourish elderly parents. Devoted children would slowly cook mashed tofu with ingredients from the mountains and the sea. The brine from Putian’s centuries-old salt fields adds umami to each serving.
Putian salt was given as tribute to the imperial court during the Song dynasty.
Today, salt producers at Dongjiao, a town in Putian’s Xiuyu district, use an ancient seven-step sun-drying method, where seawater flows through seven terraced fields, each dropping 10-15cm in elevation, to naturally filter out impurities.
This 1,000-year-old salt-making process produces additive-free pure mineral salt with a complex sweet, umami flavour. The salt was used long ago at imperial banquets, and today it is used at China’s annual G20 summit.

Yellow croaker is another Putian delicacy. The waters surrounding Huanggua Island in Xinghua Bay teem with the golden-hued fish. Their distinctive croaks – “gua gua” – give the island its name.
Well over a million croakers are farmed here annually, in cages 30 metres (100ft) underwater and in conditions that mimic those in the wild.
Strong currents make the flesh of the fish firm, while a diet of small fish and shrimp keeps the fish sweet.

Each golden croaker is harvested when it reaches 200 grams (7oz). The journey from sea to table – within 24 hours – ensures the fish stay fresh.
“These croakers hide a luminous secret,” Fong says. “Their famous gold pigment vanishes in sunlight, [so] fishermen here work moonlit shifts to haul them in.”


How a Hong Kong-style milk tea shop in Tokyo has customers queuing out the door

A guide to Hong Kong’s bitter herbal teas and how Gen Z is reviving the health tradition

What to expect from MasterChef Asia 2026? Judges open up on series’ comeback

3 kettles from Smeg, Le Creuset and Alessi to make your kitchen sing

Food and Drinks

Best things to eat in Putian, culinary gem in Fujian, China, and where to find them

A local twist on pho at Putian restaurant Fen Tang Qiang Vietnamese Rice Noodles. The Chinese city’s food mixes centuries-old tradition and innovation. We share where to find it at its best. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Farmers harvest Duotou clams in Duotou, a village in Putian, in China’s Fujian province. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Fong Chi-chung, founder of Putien Restaurant Group, on the mudflats of Duotou. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Freshly harvested Duotou clams in an umami broth. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Xinghua vermicelli stir-fried in soy milk and topped with pickled vegetables, bean sprouts, leek and egg. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Pan-fried buns at Old Putian Pan-Fried Buns. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

Bian rou tang at Xi Tian Wei Zu Chuan Bian Shi. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

 Ginger-steamed duck at Hong Family Restaurant. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

A worker harvests sea salt in Dongjiao, in Putian’s Xiuyu district. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

A yellow croaker dish from Xinghua Bay. Photo: Putien Restaurant Group

What is Shandong cuisine? Chinese chefs’ Hong Kong dinners bring out food’s best

Chef Wang Haoquan’s signature braised sea cucumber with scallions is quintessentially Jiaodong cuisine. Photo: Ming Court

Chefs Wang Haoquan (left) and Tsang Chiu-king recently collaborated on three dinners at Ming Court restaurant in Hong Kong. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Various dishes from the collaboration dinners at Ming Court. Photo: courtesy of Ming Court, Wan Chai

Pan-seared local green lobster, one of the dishes at the dinner. Photo: courtesy of Lu Shang Lu and Ming Court

Wang’s signature braised sea cucumber with spring onion is classic Jiaodong cuisine. Photo: courtesy of Ming Court, Wan Chai

Wang’s hot and sour soup with fish maw and cuttlefish roe. Photo: Ming Court

What is royal Thai cuisine? The Hua Hin resort serving food fit for a king

Khao chae at Pribpri restaurant at the Devasom Hua Hin Resort in Thailand. A Thai palace cuisine dish, it includes cool, perfumed rice with iced, jasmine-scented water and side dishes such as shrimp paste balls, sweet fried fish, stuffed green peppers wrapped in egg, pork floss and stir-fried preserved radish in coconut milk. Photo: Devasom Hua Hin

Maha Vajiralongkorn, titled Rama X, is the current King of Thailand. Photo: EPA

Ath Atirak Co-founder of Devasom Resorts. Photo: handout

Angus neua samrit at Pribpri. Photo: Devasom

Chef Thitid “Ton” Tassanakajohn at his now-closed restaurant Niras in K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui in 2023. Photo: Jonathan Wong

The terrace at Pribpri at the Devasom Hua Hin. Photo: Devasom Hua Hin

Climate change helped Japanese wine town produce top grapes. Now things are turning sour

Yuichi Hirotsu, 45, checks Pinot Noir grapes at his Hirotsu Vineyard in Yoichi on Japan’s island of Hokkaido on October 7. Photo: Reuters

Barrels of pinot noir wine sit inside a newly built underground wine cellar at Domaine Takahiko winery. Photo: Reuters

Wine producer Yuichi Hirotsu examines grapes at his vineyard in Yoichi, Japan. Photo: Reuters

Hirotsu and his relatives harvest grapes at Hirotsu Vineyard. Photo: Reuters

Bottles of pinot noir wine at Hirotsu Vineyard in Yoichi. Photo: Reuters

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Travel & Leisure

From prized razor clams to umami dishes made with special salt, Putian’s food mixes tradition and innovation. Here’s where to find the best


From prized razor clams to umami dishes made with special salt, Putian’s food mixes tradition and innovation. Here’s where to find the best.


Best things to eat in Putian, culinary gem in Fujian, China, and where to find them

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From prized razor clams to umami dishes made with special salt, Putian’s food mixes tradition and innovation. Here’s where to find the best

From prized razor clams to umami dishes made with special salt, Putian’s food mixes tradition and innovation. Here’s where to find the best