Shandong, a large coastal province, has always enjoyed a unique advantage in eating fish, not only a wide variety of seafood, but also a variety of methods, and even in terms of eating methods, it is also jaw-dropping. Today I would like to introduce this classic dish of Shandong, called steamed Jiaji fish. The seemingly unremarkable name of the dish actually has the characteristics of Shandong cuisine with good color and fragrance, and is an important role in the local high-end banquet in Shandong.
Since ancient times, the Gargi fish has been a precious fish native to Shandong, this fish was originally called the real seabream, both between the court and among the common people, this fish is very popular. Hao Yixing of the Qing Dynasty used extremely flowery words to praise the Gaji fish in his travelogue, the main food of the Jiaji fish is shellfish in the sea, so compared with other fish, its fish meat is more tender and smooth, and the umami taste is more sufficient.
In the Jiaodong area, Gagi fish also has a way to eat one fish and two eats. The first round first enjoy the fish meat of the Gagi fish, generally speaking, the whole fish tail is on the table, wait until everyone eats the fish meat almost, and then put the fish bones into the pot to boil the fish soup, this fish soup is not only delicious soup, but also a famous Shandong family wine product. The local folk have a saying of "Gargie head, bayu tail, knife fish belly fish mouth" to describe, of all the marine fish, these four kinds of fish are the most delicious.
Speaking of this strangely eaten classic food, it also has a classic story. Legend has it that in ancient times, a guest ordered a steamed gagi fish at a restaurant, and after a fierce operation by the chef, the gagi fish sold very deliciously after being served. The guest ate all the fish meat in three times and five divided by two, leaving only a clean fish head and back ridge, this guest may not have eaten enough, so he let the shop small two go down and then use the fish head to boil a pot of soup, the fish soup after the table is fresh and endless.
This steamed Gargi fish was also praised by the Qianlong Emperor. In the spring of a certain year, the Qianlong Emperor, who was quite interested, went out to sea for a cruise, and when he passed through Penglai, the boat had just started, and a fish with a fat head and big ears jumped from the water to the boat, and the Qianlong Emperor was very happy to see this scene, thinking that this was a good omen, so he had more than one year, so he sealed this fish as a Gaji fish.
After the locals in Yantai, Shandong Province, learned of the Qianlong Emperor's canonization, they felt that this fish represented an auspicious omen and favored this fish called "Jiaji fish". It is said that the Qianlong Emperor immediately let people cook this fish, and after the Qianlong Emperor tasted it, he was greatly addicted, although he had eaten all kinds of mountain treasures and seafood, he had never tried such a fresh and delicious fish.
The Qianlong Emperor looked at the fish that had been eaten, and asked the imperial chef to process the fish head again, and the imperial chef held this dish with only the fish head and fish bones left, and could only find a way to add water and a little ginger slices to make a thick white fish soup. After the Qianlong Emperor took a sip, he won Chen Zan, ignoring the emperor's lofty image, and drank this bowl of fish soup to the sky. And this way of eating, but also spread to the folk, until now, many local fish experts in Shandong still continue this one fish two eating method.
With the development of the times, people's living standards have steadily improved, and the vigorous development of tourism has made this classic cuisine of Shandong go to the whole country. Many people who come to Shandong to travel to Shandong feel that its umami taste is full of flavor, the fish meat is layered, and its unique way of eating makes many people remember it. So people learned to cook this fish, and now in many families across the country, this steamed fish has become a good dish for housewives.
Seemingly simple steamed fish, but in fact, hidden dry, if you do not grasp the heat and steaming way, the fish will be too old. Generally speaking, people will use two chopsticks in the process of steaming fish, the purpose is to make the steam in the pot can be fully circulated, so that the double side of the fish is heated more evenly, and this practice also effectively improves the speed of steaming the fish, avoiding steaming too long to make the fish brown.
This steamed gagi is not only full of umami taste, but also highly respected in terms of nutritional value. Compared with other fish, this gagi fish, which specializes in sea shell meat, has a firmer taste and is rich in protein, selenium, calcium and other nutrients needed by the human body. Especially for middle-aged and elderly people, eating gagi fish can help them play a significant role in removing wind chills, replenishing the stomach, and nourishing liver function.
In addition, the shiitake mushrooms in the steamed kaji fish dish are also a very nutritious food. Shiitake mushrooms have long been a respected health ingredient for health care people. Shiitake mushrooms contain a variety of amino acids and vitamins are important nutrients needed by the human body, in addition, the unique wheat alcohol in the body of shiitake mushrooms can be converted into vitamin D in the human body, which promotes the absorption of calcium in the human body, and it can significantly enhance the body's resistance.
In addition, shiitake mushroom is also a good food supplement that many cancers often eat, because of its special effect, it can help cancer patients inhibit the growth and spread of tumor cells in the body.
At the same time, the nucleic acid substances such as complexine and oxidase unique to shiitake mushrooms are a good dietary choice for middle-aged and elderly people to lower blood lipids and cholesterol.
As a big fish-eating province, the people of Shandong have the same love for seafood as the Chengdu people love chili peppers, and in this land, a variety of seafood delicacies have been bred. And this steamed jiaji fish, to some extent, still becomes the "fresh as life" dietary taste of the people of Shandong.
With the steady growth of the economic level, people's material level is also constantly improving, and the requirements for food are getting higher and higher. This classic seafood from Shandong has been deepened by the process of population migration and has been favored by more and more people. From its inception, this dish became a classic delicacy that both nobles and commoners were keen on, and in the face of food, the heavily guarded class system temporarily blurred the boundaries, which may be the power of food.
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"Qi Min Zhi Shu"
Compendium of Materia Medica