Yantai is celebrated for its seafood, which is an important part of Shandong cuisine, one of China's four major styles of cooking.

Unlike the cooking methods in coastal areas of Southern China that add various condiments to give the seafood different flavors, the most common way of preparing seafood in Yantai is quite simple - either steaming or boiling with sea salt, to best retain the seafood's freshness and sweet juices. Swimming crabs, mantis shrimps and clams are tastiest when cooked in this way.

Seafood can also be used to make creative meals.