Yicheng Numbing-Spicy Braised Prawns 宜城大虾
Yicheng Numbing-Spicy Braised Prawns is featured among the local specialties of Hubei.
Yicheng Numbing-Spicy Braised Prawns (宜城大虾) is a shellfish snack from Yicheng (宜城) in Xiangyang (襄阳), Hubei. The Xiangyang city government says it appeared in the 1990s, was created by workers at the Exi Chemical Plant (鄂西化工厂) in Yicheng, and takes its name from that origin.
How it is made
The city government lists red-braising, steaming, oil-braising and simmering in a spiced liquid as ways of cooking the prawns, but the most common version is red-braised and numbing-hot. The cleaned prawns are first stir-fried dry, then seasoned with pepper, Sichuan pepper (花椒), chilli and soy sauce and braised over fierce heat.
Flavour and texture
The meat comes out fresh and tender. The taste is summed up as "一麻二辣三香": first numbing, then hot, then fragrant.
How it is eaten
Yicheng Numbing-Spicy Braised Prawns is a seasonal dish, eaten from the start of summer to the start of autumn. In summer the city government says it is on the table in hotels, restaurants and night-market stalls alike, at official receptions and private dinners. The roadside stalls fill up at night, with diners eating prawns and drinking beer in the cool evening air.
Where it comes from
In 2005 the State Trademark Office approved "宜城大虾" (Yicheng big shrimp) as a certification trademark, which the Xiangyang government describes as the first in China created specifically to protect a prawn product.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Yicheng Coiled Whole Eels 宜城盘鳝 →
Another Yicheng speciality on the Xiangyang city government's list: small whole eels fried curled in sesame oil and finished with Sichuan pepper and chilli.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and checked sentence by sentence against quoted extracts by a separate reviewer on 2026-09-25. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.