South Lake Silver Fish

South Lake Silver Fish

　　South Lake Silver Fish is a specialty of Nan Yi Lake in Xuancheng District, Xuancheng City, Anhui Province. The silver fish from South Lake are crystal clear, with tender flesh and soft bones. They are delicious, nutritious, and can be eaten as is, stir-fried, or used in soups. Soup made with them is considered the finest preparation—delicious without being fishy, rich without being cloudy, and tender without being greasy. It is a delicacy among freshwater fish.

　　Nan Yi Lake is a natural lake situated at the border between Xuancheng and Langxi in Anhui Province, also known as "South Lake." With a total area of 189 square kilometers, it is the largest lake in southern Anhui and was once part of the ancient Danyang Lake. The lake boasts abundant aquatic and wild bird resources, including fish, shrimp, crabs, birds, and geese, especially renowned for its silver fish and crabs, which enjoy fame both domestically and internationally. It has been designated by the state as an export base for river crabs. Since ancient times, South Lake has been praised with the saying “producing a bushel of gold by day and a bushel of silver by night.”

　　The silver fish of Nan Yi Lake have slender, smooth, and transparent bodies. Their flesh is tender, flavorful, and highly nutritious, making them a true delicacy among fish. A verse by Zhang Rujue specifically describing the silver fish of Nan Yi Lake reads: “Silvery fish two inches long in the brocaded waves, beneath the willows the nets rest at noon’s fierce heat. Tomorrow the nets will be taken to the city market, but only silk knives will be traded, not coarse cloth.”

　　South Lake Silver Fish are harvested starting in early July each year, with an annual yield of 100,000 to 250,000 kilograms. The bulk of the catch is processed into dried products, available in two types: “oil strips” and “seasonal strips,” with the “oil strips” being the superior variety. They are popular in both domestic and international markets.