Puyang Zao Fish

Puyang Zao Fish

　　Puyang Zao Fish: Let’s start with the fish. When it comes to eating fish, many people have probably had the unpleasant experience of getting a bone stuck in their throat. But when you try “Puyang Zao Fish,” it’s a completely different story: the fish meat is tender and juicy, while the bones are crisp and aromatic—both the flesh and the bones are delicious. “Puyang Zao Fish” is a classic and well-known dish in Henan cuisine, popular mainly in northern and eastern Henan, where many rural chefs in Xinxiang, Puyang, and Shangqiu are skilled at cooking it. Made with Yellow River carp as the main ingredient, this dish requires slow simmering over low heat and is considered somewhat of a labor-intensive delicacy.　　Where does the deliciousness of “Puyang Zao Fish” come from? It largely owes to the old broth used to braise chicken at the restaurant, which has been simmered for a long time to create an intensely flavorful base. The fish is marinated in this broth for a full day and night. Because of the gentle simmering, the fish remains intact in shape, but the bones inside become completely soft and tender, fully absorbing all the flavors. According to folklore, Henan cuisine chefs dedicated themselves to research and continuous improvement, eventually creating a new version of the traditional dish that caters to modern palates. The updated recipe removes the carp’s scales and refines the preparation process to be more meticulous and refined than the traditional folk method.