Loach from Dongping Lake

Loach from Dongping Lake

　　Loach, also known as “qiu,” true loach, or eel-tailed loach. Around 1950, Dongping Lake had the highest population of loaches, with one boat capable of catching 30 to 40 kilograms per day. In one year, fishermen from 20 boats in Laohu Village, Laohu Town, caught over a thousand kilograms of loaches. According to them, after heavy rains when the lake water rose, loaches were most abundant, often hiding among floating clumps of grass, making them the easiest to catch.

　　Dongping Lake loaches have five pairs of barbels, with the longest extending to or beyond the eyes. They lack an infraorbital spine. Their scales are small and embedded under the skin. The dorsal ridge on the caudal peduncle is low and connects to the caudal fin. The caudal peduncle is longer than it is high, and the caudal fin is rounded, located close to the anal fin.

　　Loach are small bottom-dwelling fish that live in still or slow-moving waters with muddy bottoms. They are highly adaptable and can survive in environments rich in organic matter. When oxygen levels in the water are low, they can perform aerial respiration through their gills. If the water dries up, they can burrow into the mud to stay dormant. They feed on various small aquatic plants and animals. Loach spawn in batches, with the breeding season mainly occurring from May to June. Fertilized eggs attach to aquatic plants until they hatch. The largest individuals can grow up to 300 millimeters in length.

　　Loach are small fish, with the largest individuals caught in Dongping Lake weighing no more than half a jin (approximately 250 grams). Their flesh is tender and highly nutritious. Every 100 grams of loach meat contains 22.6 grams of protein, 2.9 grams of fat, 51 milligrams of calcium, 154 milligrams of phosphorus, 3 milligrams of iron, and 70 international units of vitamin A. Additionally, it contains nutrients such as vitamins B1, B2, and niacin. The sugar content in loach is 25 times that of crucian carp, its iron content is nine times that of prawns, and its calcium exceeds that of hairtail and carp. Its niacin content is also higher than that of other fish. Fishermen often stew loach with tofu, playfully naming the dish “Dragon Ascends the White Jade Hall.” Traditional Chinese medicine considers loach to be sweet and neutral in nature, entering the spleen and lung meridians, with its mucus being sweet and cold. It is believed to regulate the middle energizer, benefit qi, quench thirst, relieve hangovers, eliminate dampness, detoxify, nourish yin, clear heat, and improve circulation. It is primarily used to treat conditions such as diabetes, impotence, infectious hepatitis, hemorrhoids, night sweats, and edema.

　　Loaches from Dongping Lake are long and stout, with thick and succulent flesh. They are commonly found in the lake itself as well as in surrounding rivers, ponds, and ditches, with an annual yield of about 150 tons. In the 1950s, rice paddies in our county, such as those in Tuncunwa, were also abundant in loaches, with one boat sometimes catching over 50 kilograms in a single day.

　　Because loach soup is delicious and believed to have health benefits, it has now become a popular new health food.