Specialty Dried Seafood
Dried Shrimp and Prawns
Peeled dried shrimp and shell-on prawns, sorted by size
Dried
- Private-label packing
- Export documentation
Specialty Dried Seafood
Wholesale Dried Fish and Shellfish, Sourced to Your Brief
Beyond our core lines, BSA Food Products sources salted and dried fish, dried octopus, sea snails and other traditional dried seafood to a written brief, with species, grade, packing and documents agreed before any lot is bought.
- Sourcing to a written brief, not a fixed list
- Salted fish, anchovy, croaker, octopus and sea snails
- Every species screened for legal trade status
- Offers matched to your reference before purchase
- Mixed-product consolidation into one shipment
Product Specifications
Indicative; confirmed per lot on each quotation.
- Origin
- China, South-East Asia, Korea, South Asia and other producing regions, chosen species by species and checked against destination eligibility before sourcing begins.
- Grade / Size
- Set per product in the brief, for example anchovy by length band, croaker by fish per kilogram and octopus by piece weight.
- Form & Processing
- Whole, split, filleted or salted and dried as the product requires, with salt level and drying method agreed in the brief.
- Storage
- Requirements differ by item: dry, low-salt products can be held at cool ambient temperature, whereas salted, semi-dried and oily fish such as anchovy are better kept chilled.
- MOQ
- Set per species and processor; first shipments typically from 100–200 kg per product, with mixed-product loads accepted.
- Lead Time
- Typically 4–8 weeks from a complete brief, and longer where new processors, permits or laboratory testing are involved.
Product overview
The Asian dried seafood trade includes a long tail of regional products that rarely appear on a standard price list. Importers and distributors serving Chinese, South-East Asian and Korean communities regularly need items such as salted fish, dried anchovy, dried yellow croaker or dried octopus to complete a range. Rather than hold a thin stock of everything, we handle these lines on a sourcing basis: you describe the product, and we identify processors that can make it to your specification and ship it lawfully to your market.
Typical requests include Cantonese-style salted fish in both firm, dry-salted and softer, matured styles; dried anchovy (Engraulis japonicus and Stolephorus species) in several size grades for stocks and snacks; dried small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis); dried flatfish for noodle-soup stocks; split and dried pike conger for eel-style dishes; dried octopus for Cantonese soups; and whole dried sea snails. Freshwater Anguilla eels are not sourced through this program. Availability shifts with fishing seasons and with what each destination will accept, so some requests can only be met at particular times of year.
A useful brief covers six points: the species, ideally by scientific name or with a reference product label; preferred origins, or origins to avoid; the grade, meaning size, count, salt level, moisture and appearance; packing format and labeling language; destination country and port; and the documents your importer of record needs, such as health certificates, catch certificates or laboratory reports. The more precisely these are set, the faster we can shortlist processors and return comparable offers. Our article on import planning for dried seafood explains why documents should be settled early.
Every sourced lot goes through the same inspection as our core range: species confirmation, moisture and salt checks, insect and mold inspection, and a review of odor and appearance against the approved specification. For anchovy, mackerel-type fish and other species where histamine is a recognized hazard, histamine testing can be arranged where the destination sets limits. To open a request, send your brief to our export specialists.
Specification sheet
Other Dried Fish and Shellfish: full specification
Indicative values. Final specifications are confirmed per lot on the quotation and certificate of analysis.
| Product types | Salted fish, dried anchovy, dried croaker, dried flatfish, dried octopus, dried sea snails and others |
|---|---|
| Species | Declared per lot by scientific name; screened for legal status |
| Not sourced | Protected species; freshwater Anguilla eels |
| Origin | Agreed in the brief and checked against destination eligibility |
| Grade / size | Length, count, piece weight or salt level, per product |
| Processing | Salted, sun-dried, air-dried or split and dried, per product |
| Key checks | Moisture, salt, insects, mold, odor; histamine where required |
| Shelf life | Varies with salt level and storage regime; confirmed per lot |
| Packing | 5–20 kg cartons; vacuum packs; retail packs; mixed pallets |
| Documents | Health certificate, catch certificate and laboratory reports as the destination requires |
| Minimum order | Set per species and processor; first shipments typically from 100–200 kg per product, with mixed-product loads accepted. |
| Lead time | Typically 4–8 weeks from a complete brief, and longer where new processors, permits or laboratory testing are involved. |
FAQ
Other Dried Fish and Shellfish: questions from buyers
What information should a sourcing request include?
Start with the product name and, if possible, the scientific species name or a photo and label of a product you already buy. Add the size or count, salt level, packing format, first-order and annual volume, destination port and the documents your customs broker will need. Complete briefs can be shortlisted quickly, while vague ones lead to rounds of questions before offers can be made.
Can you source dried eel?
We handle eel-style requests with marine pike conger and conger eel, which are split and dried in several coastal regions of China. Freshwater Anguilla eels are not sourced through this program because of the trade controls that apply to some of those species. If you are matching an existing product, send its label so we can confirm what it is and suggest a lawful alternative.
Can several dried products be combined in one shipment?
Yes, and many buyers combine custom items with core lines such as dried shrimp or dried squid to fill a container or reach a practical consolidated volume. Each product keeps its own lot number, specification and documents, so traceability is preserved even when goods travel together on one bill of lading.
Can salted fish be shipped to every market?
Not always, because salted and fermented fish face specific rules in some markets, including limits on certain additives, histamine criteria for susceptible species and, occasionally, import restrictions on particular product styles. We check these against your destination before quoting, and if a product cannot be shipped lawfully to your market we tell you at the outset rather than after offers have been made.
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Buyer guides
Import & Compliance7 min read
What Importers Need to Know Before Ordering Dried Seafood
The market-access, species, documentation, classification and commercial checks an importer should complete before placing a first order for dried seafood.
Read the guide
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Choosing Premium Seafood Ingredients for Restaurants and Retail
How chefs, foodservice buyers and brand owners match grade and format to the application, compare suppliers on cost per portion, and keep quality consistent across orders and channels.
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Request a quote
Request a quote for other dried fish and shellfish
Share your target grade, packing, volume and destination. We confirm availability, documentation for your market and a formal quotation, usually within one business day.
- Grade, size or count required
- Packing format and labeling language
- Estimated volume and order frequency
- Destination port or airport and Incoterm
- Reference: Other Dried Fish and Shellfish