Chinese Cold Jellyfish Salad (Liang Ban Hai Zhe / 凉拌海蜇)
Coastal China — Cantonese, Fujian, and Shanghai traditions
Jellyfish is a Chinese cold dish staple — the raw jellyfish is processed (salted and dried), then rehydrated and blanched briefly before dressing with sesame oil, Zhenjiang vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. The textural experience is entirely the point: jellyfish has almost no flavour but a unique springy, slightly rubbery crunch. A fixture on cold cut platters and as a standalone starter.