Tea-seed oil dried black carp

Tea-seed oil dried black carp

　　Black Carp from Shaoxing

　　     Shaoxing, known as a water town, is dotted with ponds and vast in water area, featuring wide rivers and deep lakes with abundant benthic organisms and rich food sources. It has a long history of farming and producing black carp, and it has been customary to make tea-seed oil dried black carp. Historically, the dried black carp, as a famous specialty of Shaoxing, was once exported as far as Southeast Asia. In the early years after liberation, the annual production of black carp was about 400 tons, accounting for 10% of the total freshwater fish yield. Starting in the 1960s, the yield of black carp declined year by year, maintaining an annual output of around 100 tons. In 1987, a relatively large catch of black carp was recorded, with a total production of 215 tons.

　　 　　---- Black carp, also known as “snail carp”. It has a cylindrical body, a laterally flattened tail, and a round belly; the upper body and the upper half of the sides are dark grayish-black, while the belly is milky white. It is one of China’s four major domesticated fish species.

　　 　　---- Black carp mostly inhabit the middle and lower layers of the water and are not fond of coming to the surface. Female fish reach sexual maturity at 4–5 years old, with a body length of about 0.9 meters and a weight of around 10 kilograms. The spawning period is between May and July. The eggs are light gray, demersal, and swell by absorbing water after fertilization, floating and drifting with the current. In their fry stage, black carp feed on planktonic animals, while adults mainly consume shellfish such as snails and yellow clams. Black carp are characterized by fast growth (3-year-old fish can weigh 3.5–4.0 kilograms), large size (some can exceed 50 kilograms), thick flesh, few bones, high fat content, and delicious taste.

　　 　　---- Besides being eaten fresh, black carp is especially suitable for making dried fish. Shaoxing’s tea-seed oil dried black carp enjoys a longstanding reputation. The production method is as follows: select black carp weighing 20–30 kilograms, cut open the back, remove the internal organs, air-dry, then rub the fish with mirabilite and salt. Place them in a large pickling vat and press with heavy stones. After 5 days, flip the fish, keep the stones pressing, and after about 10 days, take them out of the vat to be either sun-dried or oven-dried. When slightly dry, coat them with tea-seed oil and air-dry them in a ventilated place until they are “wind-dried.” The wind-dried fish are bright red in color, ham-like in appearance, highly storable, and remain edible over long periods. When consumed, they are cut into chunks, sprayed with white liquor, steamed in a pot, and the meat becomes tender with a fragrant aroma of tea-seed oil. Nowadays, the sporadic production of dried black carp is still quite common in both urban and rural areas of Shaoxing. Restaurants such as Lanxiangguan, Tongxinyue, Rongluxun, and Shen Yonghe in the city all process and sell it. Tea-seed oil dried black carp has become a high-end gift for Shaoxing residents to give to relatives and friends.