In Ming and Qing Dynasties, shad was famous for its flat, long body shape and silver color as well as its the delicious tase, small quantity and short fishing season. These factors, along with the traditions of tributory and imperial shad delicacies, had founded the precious value of shad and promoted it as the 'king of all fishes' and the 'best among all marine catches'. Shad reveals different levels of meanings. In Ming and Qing Dynasties, the focus was gradually transformed from simple shad consumption to flourishing food culture. From the perspectives of ocean literature and marine food culture, based on the poetries of shad in Ming and Qing Dynasties as well as past literatures related to shad and modern research findings on tribute of shad, this study explores the rich imagery of poetry of shad and aims to complement the general research on shad.