Night Market · Grilled Seafood Skewers

Kaochuan (烤串) — Qingdao Grilled Seafood Skewers

📷 Closely related photo — Photo via Pexels/Unsplash — free for commercial use

In Qingdao, these skewers are traditionally washed down with beer poured straight into a plastic bag — a quirky local street-drinking habit.

Squid, shrimp, small fish, and shellfish are skewered and grilled over charcoal, brushed with a cumin-and-chili spice mix as they cook, and handed over sizzling straight off the grill.

Why it's made this way: Qingdao's German-founded brewing history left the city with a deep beer-drinking culture, and grilled seafood skewers became the natural pairing.