The second episode of "Flavor of the World" finally arrived as scheduled in the bitter waiting of netizens. However, the commentary in the second episode of "Shunde Fish Raw" triggered a discussion among netizens about the "history of Chinese eating fish".
Due to the long history of eating fish, Chinese who like to talk about seniority have also made many rankings about "fish", and "China's four famous fish" is one of them. In ancient times, these fish were all tributes to the emperor, but now their respective situations are very different.
Matsue perch
Songjiang perch is most famous for its life in Songjiang County, Shanghai. It is characterized by its "four gills", while the average perch has only two gills. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, there is a story of Cao Cao entertaining his courtiers with Songjiang perch.
Steamed Songjiang sea bass is a famous dish in Shanghai. When cooking, cut three knives on each side of the fish, then apply salt, sugar, corn starch, sprinkle pepper, with shredded green onion and ginger, put it in the pot and steam. Because of their excellent taste, many literati and inkers left praise poems for the Songjiang four-gill perch. In modern times, it is not easy to taste this fish. On October 12, 1986, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom visited China, and at that time, she could not find the four-cheeked perch.
In 2010, the four-gill perch was successfully artificially bred, which made it reappear in the jianghu. Even so, it is still "scarce and expensive", and it is not easy to eat once.
Yellow River carp
Henan Mengjin is the best production area for Yellow River carp. Due to pollution, indiscriminate fishing and other reasons, the production of wild Yellow River carp in the last century declined sharply. Nowadays, most of the Yellow River carp used in catering is farmed.
In order to inherit the reputation of "Henan food business card" braised Yellow River carp, a strict process for breeding this fish has been formulated. According to Yu Lei, executive chef of Gu Yuchun Braised Yellow River Carp, the farmed Yellow River carp has not been separated from the Yellow River water since childhood: fertilized in the Yellow River shoals, grown up drinking the Yellow River water, the Yellow River water transportation, and the three-pound Yellow River big carp can be selected.
Yu Lei said that going fishy most tests the level of Yu cuisine chefs. He has his own set of experience, removing fishy threads, trident bones, and then soaking in cold water and wiping away the blood water to completely remove the fishy. Simmering fish is also crucial, and the fried fish should be placed in the chicken broth made by the old hen for more than a year, and simmered for 50 minutes on low and medium heat.
The braised Yellow River carp produced in this way has soft flesh and no fishy taste, and is the most proud delicacy of Zhengzhou locals.
Xingkai Lake big white fish
The large white fish of Xingkai Lake is produced in Xingkai Lake, Jixi City, Heilongjiang. During the Qing Dynasty, the Jilin Ula general Bahai once used this fish to feast on the Kangxi Emperor.
Nowadays, Xingkai Lake is the boundary lake between China and Russia, and China only accounts for one-third. Overfishing in the past 20 years has led to a decline in the natural production of large white fish. Since the 1990s, the government began to promote aquaculture, and the price of wild white fish in Xingkai Lake has also risen a lot.
Today, white fish stew in the lake is still a popular local delicacy in Jixi, and it is a must-order when traveling. After the residents along the xingkai lake catch the fish, they wash the live fish by dissection, add the lake water, and simmer for 30 minutes, accompanied by fine salt and pepper. Its flesh is tender and tender, and its soup is as white as milk, exquisite and unusual.
Songhua River mandarin fish
Mandarin fish, also known as cinnamon fish, aohua. Mandarin fish are found in freshwater basins throughout the country. However, the best one is produced in the Songhua River in Jilin Province.
The so-called "stinky fish" is a mandarin fish frozen in the ice. The reason why it is delicious is related to the process of its formation. After the fish suffocated due to lack of oxygen in the water, they were frozen in the ice as the temperature on the surface of the water decreased.
At this time, the protein in the fish body begins to change at low temperatures. The meat is fermented at low temperatures, although it has a smell, but the body is still elastic, the meat is still fresh, and it will produce a variety of amino acids that are beneficial to the human body.
This special "stinky fish" is heated at high temperatures and emits a special flavorful taste.
With the deterioration of the environment and the reduction of ice, stinky fish has rarely been seen on the Songhua River, and few people can taste this delicacy that nature has given to northeasterners.