Lebei Hua Hua Fish

Lebei Hua Hua Fish

　　When visiting Lechang, you must also try Hua Hua fish. Raised in rice paddies, these fish feed on fallen rice spikes, giving their flesh a subtle, fragrant taste reminiscent of the flowers. The fish meat is tender, the bones are soft and virtually boneless, and it has no fishy smell. Paired with sweet taro leaves, the entire pot of fish soup turns a brilliant golden yellow, bursting with rich aroma and flavor, enhancing the taste and stimulating the appetite—making it incredibly delicious and hard to resist.

　　Hua Hua fish, also known as Hua Hua carp, is a small warm-water cyprinid species. It is raised in rice paddies for extended periods and feeds on fallen rice flowers before being harvested, which gives its flesh a distinct floral fragrance—hence the name "Hua Hua" (flower flower) fish. These fish are omnivorous, grow quickly, and have strong reproductive capabilities. They are generally small in size, weighing between 50–250 grams, with a sturdy body shape, slightly purplish (dark brown) hue overall, black backs, and vibrant coloring. Their flesh is delicate, with few bones and plenty of meat, soft bones, no fishy odor, and a delicious taste. With high protein content, they can be cooked in various ways such as braised, boiled, pan-fried, or steamed—but are especially delicious when slow-cooked in a clay pot.

　　Hua Hua fish originated more than two thousand years ago during China’s Han Dynasty, from the traditional farming culture of “integrated rice-fish co-culture.” Later, this practice spread widely across the rice fields of southern mountainous regions in China. It is relatively widely distributed in Guilin, Guangxi, and is considered a regionally distinctive aquaculture variety. Legend has it that during the Qing Dynasty’s Qianlong Emperor’s southern tour, he visited Guilin Prefecture. During a banquet, the emperor found the wine mellow, the dishes exquisite and unusually fresh—especially intrigued by the Hua Hua fish on his plate. He asked those around him, “What kind of fish is this? So tender, delicious, without any fishy or greasy taste.” The local official replied, “This is Hua Hua fish, also known as field carp. The locals raise carp in rice paddies. When the rice plants spike and bloom, the fish especially love to eat the rice flowers that fall onto the water. After eating them, the fish grow plump and tender, thus free of any fishy taste.” Delighted by this, the Qianlong Emperor remarked, “The flesh of Hua Hua fish is tender and delicious—even the fish of Wuchang can’t compare!” From then on, Hua Hua fish was listed as a tribute item, greatly increasing its value.

　　Traditionally, the farming of Hua Hua fish in Shaoguan City has mainly been concentrated in Lechang City and the northern towns of Ruyuan County. Since Hua Hua fish are raised in rice paddies—where rice cultivation is primary and fish farming secondary—the practice utilizes an artificially established rice-fish symbiotic relationship. The fish feed on weeds, small insects, plankton, and rice flowers in the paddies, transforming the original rice field ecosystem into a more beneficial one. This method is low-cost and highly effective, achieving the dual goals of increased rice yields and abundant fish harvests, thus playing a positive role in promoting ecologically integrated planting and breeding in mountainous areas and increasing farmers’ economic returns. In the 1980s, local agricultural departments in Lechang City and Ruyuan County actively promoted the widespread adoption of this practice in the mid-season rice fields of the northern towns under their jurisdiction. According to local experience, before stocking fish, the dikes of the rice paddies are slightly heightened, and depending on the size of the paddy, cross-shaped fish trenches and fish pits are dug within the fields. Fish barriers are also installed at the inlet and outlet points for irrigation and drainage. The fish are usually released 7–10 days after transplanting the rice seedlings, with about 1,000 fish fry per mu. After fish are introduced, a higher water level is maintained to prevent fish escape during heavy rain. Moreover, when applying fertilizers, drying out the fields, or weeding, full consideration must be given to the needs of fish growth. Fertilizer should be applied in sections with intervals to avoid negatively impacting fish. Raising fish in rice paddies not only provides fish products but also allows the fish to consume pests and weeds in the fields, excrete nutrient-rich waste, stir the mud to promote fertilizer decomposition, and create favorable conditions for rice growth—typically resulting in about a 10% increase in rice yield. During the 1980s and 1990s, over 10,000 mu of rice paddies in the northern towns of Lechang City and Ruyuan County were used to farm Hua Hua fish. In towns such as Daqiao, Dabu, and Luoyang in Ruyuan County, and in Meiliao (encompassing Meihua, Shaping, Yunyan, and Xiushui towns), Pingshi, and Huangpu in Lechang—all mountainous regions—the fish were commonly farmed. Currently, farming is mostly concentrated in the Meiliao area, with larger contiguous operations run by cooperatives such as the Ruyuan Yao Autonomous County Jiahua Hua Hua Fish Professional Cooperative and the Lechang City Meihua Town Baizhen Organic Breeding and Farming Professional Cooperative.

　　As Hua Hua fish originated from the traditional farming culture of “integrated rice-fish co-culture” dating back more than two thousand years to China’s Han Dynasty, it was listed by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) in 2005 as one of the world’s important agricultural heritage systems.