Shad from the Fuchun River

Shad from the Fuchun River

　　　Product Name: Shad

　　Product Origin: Fuchun River, Fuyang, Hangzhou

　　Product Characteristics: The flesh is tender and rich in fat, best prepared by stewing or steaming to achieve an exceptionally fresh and delicate texture with a luxurious flavor.

　　Product Composition: Shad meat is tender, fatty, and delicious, highly nutritious. Each 100 grams contains 16.9 grams of protein and 17 grams of fat.

　　Product Benefits: Tonifies qi, nourishes stomach, resolves dampness and promotes urination, dispels wind and relieves irritability.

　　Product Introduction: Shad is a premium fish species, known for its silvery-white color. Renowned poets such as Su Dongpo, He Jingming, and Zheng Banqiao once wrote poems praising shad as the “exquisite beauty of the southern regions.” During the Ming Dynasty, shad was designated as an imperial tribute. By the time of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it had become one of the main dishes in the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. The Fuchun River is nationally famous for its abundance of shad. Around the transition between spring and summer, especially around the Dragon Boat Festival, shad migrate from the sea into the Qiantang River, swimming upstream to spawning grounds near Paimen Mountain and Ziling Shoal in Tonglu County, where they no longer return to the ocean, creating a seasonal fishing peak.

　　Product Legend: Every year during the transition between spring and summer, around the Dragon Boat Festival, shad migrate from the sea into the Qiantang River, swimming upstream to spawning grounds near Paimen Mountain and Ziling Shoal in Tonglu County, where they no longer return to the ocean, forming a seasonal fishing period. As this area includes the Yan Ziling Fishing Terrace, locals also refer to the fish as "Ziling Fish." After spawning, they return to the sea — hence the name, which reflects their predictable migratory timing. Among the spring river shad, those with a red dot on the lip are considered the finest, said to have been marked with a touch of cinnabar by Yan Ziling himself.