Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker

Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker

　　Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker is a specialty of Songmen Town, Wenling City, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province. The dried fish has firm meat, a white color, a delicious taste, and is highly nutritious. It is rich in protein, as well as fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamins, and other nutrients, offering benefits such as stimulating appetite, clearing internal heat, promoting saliva production, and nourishing blood.

　　Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker, also known simply as Song Dried Fish, is produced in the Songmen area of Wenling, Zhejiang. It is made from large yellow croaker and features a grayish-white color with a slight yellow tint—mostly grayish-white—which is why it is called Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker.

　　The processing and production of white dried fish have a long history in Wenling, especially in Songmen Town. In the early days, the aquatic product processing was organized by fishermen themselves. They would go fishing at sea and process the catch onshore, integrating production and processing. After the Ming Dynasty, fish merchants (boats) and warehouses began to engage in processing as well, leading to a situation where both industrial processing and individual processing coexisted.

　　The main value of Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker lies in two aspects: first, its health benefits. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, but it also has a unique flavor and high nutritional content. It helps clear internal heat, stimulate appetite, promote saliva production, and improve blood circulation. In the past, it was one of the essential nutritional items sent by a bride’s family to her during the postpartum “moon month.” Second, its socio-economic value: the brand effect of Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker has played a significant role in promoting the social and economic development of Songmen. In 2001, Songmen was officially named the “Hometown of Dried Fish.” Today, there are direct bus routes from Songmen to coastal fishing ports such as Shenjiamen and Shipu, as well as to major inland cities. Manufacturers from Spain, South Korea, and other regions continue to place orders for dried fish from Songmen.

　　The Chengchuan White Dried Yellow Croaker Professional Cooperative of Wenling City was officially established in 2007 and registered a trademark using the alternative name of Songmen Town—“Chengchuan.” This helped promote the “Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker” product. The cooperative’s products are sold across the country and have established stable markets and reputations in cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, and Shandong. In recent years, “Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker” has also seen strong sales at agricultural product distribution centers in Jiaojiang, Luqiao, and Wenling.

　　Initially, Songmen White Dried Yellow Croaker referred specifically to dried yellow croaker, but it has gradually come to refer more broadly to various types of dried fish produced in Songmen. The Chengchuan White Dried Yellow Croaker Professional Cooperative of Wenling City preserves the traditional techniques for making Song Dried Fish, ensuring the quality of the white dried fish. “Chengchuan White Dried Yellow Croaker” is a premium product among dried yellow croakers, characterized by its pure white color, smooth cut edges, intact head and shell, connected lips and curved tail, round body shape, firm meat without oil spots, and a surface that appears slightly fibrous. “Chengchuan White Dried Yellow Croaker” is a renowned product among traditional aquatic processed goods. What distinguishes it from ordinary dried yellow croakers is that every step of its production—from selection, splitting, salting, washing, drying, to packaging—is subject to strict standards.