Mullet eggs are a specialty of Rizhao, a unique treasure of Rizhao. They have a long history and are famous at home and abroad. They used to be the best imperial meals for emperors of all ages. Mullet eggs are made from the egg-wrapping glands of squid, a specialty of Rizhao. It is milky white and egg-shaped, and can be processed by chefs into high-grade food that looks like petals and is as thin as paper. According to the Records of Rizhao County in the fifty-fourth year of Emperor Kangxi of Qing Dynasty, "Mandarin fish has eggs in its mouth and belongs to one of the eight treasures in the sea." Until the end of Qing Dynasty, mullet eggs were always listed as tributes.

Mullet eggs are valuable because they are nutritious, delicious, have the effect of removing cold in winter and heat in summer, and are rich in various trace elements necessary for human body. In 1950s, the output of Rizhao mullet eggs was about 5-8 tons, and the output of 1992 was 20 tons, which were mainly sold to Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and other places. Rizhao mullet egg is a famous exhibit in 1964 national agricultural exhibition. In the 1984 national trade fair, it was rated as a famous product; 1992 the first national agricultural Expo won the silver prize.