Danjiangkou Yellowcheek

Danjiangkou Yellowcheek

Danjiangkou Yellowcheek is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Danjiangkou is known as the "Water Capital of China" and is home to over 40 varieties of precious fish, primarily including mandarin fish, yellowcheek, and whitebait. In 2008, "Danjiangkou Topmouth Culter" was included in the national list of geographical indication protected products by the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, becoming the first live fish species to receive such recognition in China. The approval of "Danjiangkou Yellowcheek" will add another product to the city’s list of geographical indication protected goods.

　　The yellowcheek is extremely fierce and is known as the "tiger of the water" or the "freshwater shark." It swims at very high speeds in water, and its scales are delicate and easily damaged. Compared to the topmouth culter, the yellowcheek is more prone to death once out of water—within just over ten seconds of being removed from the water, it begins to show signs of oxygen deprivation.

　　Danjiangkou Yellowcheek specifically refers to the variety of yellowcheek found in the independent aquatic ecological zone of the Danjiangkou Reservoir in Danjiangkou City, Hubei Province. This fish is characterized by rapid growth, strong disease resistance, high nutritional value, tender and delicious meat, and the absence of a muddy or earthy taste. In 2011, it was granted protection as a Chinese national geographical indication product. Its morphological structure and quality characteristics differ from those of yellowcheek found in other rivers and lakes, giving it unique features:

　　First, its back is bluish-green, its belly membrane is silvery-white, and its body surface has a high gloss. The lower parts of its pelvic and caudal fins are yellow.

　　Second, it grows quickly and can reach a large size. Multiple breeding trials conducted by the Fisheries College of Huazhong Agricultural University have shown that Danjiangkou Yellowcheek matures one year later than yellowcheek from other regions. Its eggs are non-adhesive. The clean and abundant food resources of the Danjiangkou Reservoir provide ample nutrition, allowing the fish to grow plump and strong. As a result, its growth rate is significantly faster than that of other yellowcheek from the Yangtze River basin originating from the same source. Even after reaching sexual maturity, it continues to grow well, with the largest individuals exceeding 2 meters in length and weighing up to 60 kilograms.

　　Third, it has excellent muscle quality and high protein content. Danjiangkou Yellowcheek is mainly cultivated through reservoir enclosure farming, natural proliferation in large reservoirs, and cage culture, feeding on small fish and shrimp, placing it at the top of the food chain. The abundant food resources of the Danjiangkou Reservoir provide it with ample nutrition. According to authoritative testing, compared to yellowcheek from other regions, Danjiangkou Yellowcheek has: 2 percentage points higher protein content (measured at 19.0%); 1.8 percentage points higher vitamin A content (measured at 13.2 mg/kg); 2.5 percentage points higher vitamin C content (measured at 14.0 mg/kg); 1.5 percentage points higher total content of 17 amino acids (measured at 18.7 mg/kg); and higher levels of nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and other inorganic salts compared to yellowcheek from other areas.

　　Fourth, it lacks a muddy or earthy taste and has good market appeal. The meat of Danjiangkou Yellowcheek is light orange-yellow in color, firm in texture, and has a high meat yield of up to 54%. When cooked, the flesh is tender and flavorful in fine strands, without any muddy taste. Its bones are relatively large but sparse, making it highly popular among consumers.

　　By the end of 2013, the city had achieved scaled yellowcheek farming across more than 100,000 mu of water area, with an annual output of nearly 10,000 tons. The fish has been developed into four major series—live fish, chilled fish, dried and sliced products, and flavored convenience foods—with over 10 varieties. These products are exported to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Harbin, as well as to Hong Kong and Macau, enjoying a high reputation in the market and becoming a prominent calling card for the city. With the gradual cleanup of cage farming in the Danjiangkou Reservoir, the city’s yellowcheek farming will return to an original ecological model of “stocking and natural growth,” further enhancing its quality advantages and delivering immeasurable economic benefits.

　　According to "Compendium of Materia Medica": "The yellowcheek lives in rivers and lakes. Its body resembles that of a carp but has a flat belly; its head is like that of a grass carp but with a larger mouth; its cheeks resemble those of a catfish but are yellow in color; its scales are similar to those of a trout but slightly finer. The larger ones weigh thirty or forty jin. It is the most voracious fish, and if it inhabits a pond, no other fish can be raised there."

　　Danjiangkou Yellowcheek has been developed into four major series—live fish, chilled fish, dried and sliced products, and flavored convenience foods—with over 10 varieties. In 2010, the production of yellowcheek reached 2,100 tons, with sales revenue of 120 million yuan and deep-processing sales revenue of 56 million yuan. The product is exported to major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Harbin, Hong Kong, and Macau. It has become a prominent calling card for Danjiangkou City.