River eel

River eel

　　Eels, also known as river eels, Japanese eels, or white eels, have the scientific name Anguilla japonica. Eels spawn and reproduce in the deep sea but grow up in freshwater environments.

Relying on its advantageous conditions—including a 136-kilometer coastline and 18,600 hectares of water within the 0–10 meter depth contour suitable for aquaculture—Rao Ping County has developed a thriving “sea farming” industry. Meanwhile, pond culture, concrete tank flow-through systems, and large open-water cage farming techniques are now well-established. The eel farming industry here has grown rapidly. Rao Ping produces a wide variety of eels, including black-eared eels and large white eels. Eels grow quickly, have delicate flesh, a delicious and fragrant taste, are low in bones and high in meat, tender and richly flavored, and highly nutritious. They are believed to nourish vitality, enrich blood, support kidney health, cool the body, and strengthen the constitution. They are also uniquely effective in treating night blindness, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and aiding postpartum recovery in young women. Blood eels, with their deep red color, are especially rich in blood-enriching properties and are considered a precious aquatic product, often referred to as the “ginseng of the water.”