New Zealand is a long way from everywhere. You’d think this would make it a difficult place from which to export perishable seafood with a reputation for causing bellyaches–like, say, raw oysters–to consumers in China.

But with a little preparation, Chinese shopping website Tmall.com has shown that modern supply chains can make international seafloor-to-door delivery of live filter-feeders possible, with noembarassing gastric repercussions.

As part of an ongoing series of special promotions to put fresh food from dozens of countries on the menu in China, Tmall.com last month teamed up with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, the country’s trade development agency, toship more than 50,000 pre-ordered oysters and mussels to PRC tables within 72 hours of harvesting.

Oysters, like revenge, are dishes best served cold and fresh—fresh as in “not dead.” Fortunately, farmed oysters are quite hardy and can survive in damp, chilly conditions for several days while they are being jetted and trucked about the planet. Packed on ice and in coldpacks, the New Zealandmollusks reached the homes of some 30,000 consumers in 67 Chinese cities, according to Tmall.com. To see how this was done, check out the video below:

 

Last October, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute and the U.S. Department of Agriculture held a similar Tmall.com promotion that saw about 50 metric tons of Alaskan seafood worth close to $1 million sold to Chinese consumers. However, the Alaskan seafood, including king crabs, was delivered frozen, not live.

For the time-limited April promotion, oysters were harvested in the morning in New Zealand and flown in the afternoon to Shanghai before they were packed and distributed throughout the country.