Tiantai Fragrant Fish

Tiantai Fragrant Fish

　　　Product Name: Fragrant Fish

　　Place of Origin: Tiantai, Taizhou, Zhejiang

　　Product Features: Fragrant without any fishy smell, tender and delicate in texture, rich and delicious in taste.

　　Product Composition: Contains various nutrients such as protein, fat, iron, riboflavin, calcium, and phosphorus.

　　Product Benefits: Known to benefit the lungs and relieve coughing, aid digestion, promote urination, and nourish the body.

　　Product Introduction: Tiantai Fragrant Fish is primarily found in Yongxi Stream at the eastern foot of Mount Cang, less than forty li from the East China Sea. In autumn, the fragrant fish spawn in the deep pools of Yongxi, after which the stream gradually cools and the fry swim downstream. As winter gives way to spring and the water warms, the young fish swim back upstream to grow in Yongxi until autumn, when they spawn again. This unique life cycle is as fascinating as that of swallows and wild geese. In earlier times, a small number of fragrant fish were also found in the Ling River and were counted among the “Five Treasures of Yanshan,” but due to water pollution in recent years, they have become rare. Nowadays, Yongxi Stream in Tiantai Mountain is their only known habitat. The water here is clear, the stones are clean, and lush vegetation abounds. The fragrant fish swim freely, as if in paradise.

　　Product History: According to the Cihai (an encyclopedia), “Fragrant fish, known as ‘ayu’ in Japan, belong to the order Osmeriformes and the family Plecoglossidae. They have a laterally compressed body, about 20 cm long, bluish-yellow in color, with an oval orange spot behind the gill cover. Their snout is downturned, and they have broad, truncate teeth with indentations. They possess an adipose fin and fine scales. In autumn, they swim upstream to spawn, laying sticky eggs. Most females die after spawning. Old records state: ‘The fragrant fish grows one inch per month until October.’ Their lifespan is just one year, hence they are also called ‘year fish.’ The entire fish is less than one Chinese foot in length, fragrant without any fishy smell, tender and delicate in texture, and richly delicious. Moreover, because they have an adipose fin, when stewed, a layer of fish oil floats on the surface of the broth, giving it a uniquely delicious flavor. Rare things are precious—legend has it that in ancient times, they were even offered as tribute to the emperor.”