Dried razor clam soup. [Photo/WeChat account: ntjoy2012]

Clam is a popular type of seafood in Nantong. For natives of Rudong, a county in the city, razor clams are even more important than regular clams, and dried razor clam soup is a staple of dinner tables.

In 2014, preparation techniques for dried razor clam soup were listed as a Nantong intangible cultural heritage item.

The soup has quite a significant preparation process. Dried razor clams need to be soaked in water for six to 12 hours after they are washed in warm water. Then the well-soaked razor clams are rinsed with water until no sand or soil remains.

The most important step is to put the cleaned razor clams in warm water containing soda for two hours.

Then the razor clams are stir-fried with lard and put inside a purple-clay boiler with the chicken soup, stir-fried pork strips and clam meat, chopped green onions, and yellow wine to be stewed on a slow fire for 30 minutes after the water boils.

Finally, the soup must be left in the boiler for another 20 minutes after putting out the fire and a pinch of salt should be added before serving.