Rich River Dried Fish Bits

Rich River Dried Fish Bits

　　Rich River Dried Fish Bits is one of the famous local delicacies in Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County, Hezhou City, Guangxi, and is a renowned specialty product of the area.

　　Production Environment

　　Fuchuan Yao Autonomous County is located in the northeast of Guangxi, at the junction of Hunan, Guangdong, and Guangxi (three provinces/regions); established in the 6th year of Emperor Wu of Han's Yuanding era (111 BC), it was historically known as the “Mountain Kingdom.” Fuchuan enjoys convenient transportation, being 60 km from Hezhou City, 190 km from Guilin City, and 380 km from Guangzhou City. Entering the Yao region, you’ll find spectacular mountains and rivers along the highways, flowers blooming all year round, and the sounds of butterfly songs in the air. Fuchuan has a long history and rich cultural heritage, boasting abundant tourism resources. With beautiful landscapes, picturesque scenery, strong ethnic customs, rich historical significance, and eight scenic spots that are widely known, it is praised by people inside and outside the region as “the most beautiful countryside in eastern Guangxi.” The area’s rich natural resources, unique geography, and climatic conditions have given rise to distinctive ethnic-flavored cuisine.

　　Product Features

　　Rich River Dried Fish Bits are produced in Bixi Lake, Fuchuan, caught using fishing nets and dried over a wood fire. Seasonings such as green chili, red chili, onion, ginger slices, fermented black beans, crushed garlic, peanut oil, rice wine, salt, sugar, and chicken powder are used. The dried fish bits are stir-fried together with soybeans and pickled radish, resulting in a savory and salty taste with moderate sourness and spiciness, suitable for all ages.

　　Preparation Method (Steamed Dried Fish Bits with Fermented Black Beans)

　　Ingredients: 200g fish bits, 10g Huangyao fermented black beans, 10g minced garlic, 5g minced ginger, 5g Sanhua wine, 10g light soy sauce, 10g oyster sauce, an appropriate amount of red chili, an appropriate amount of chopped scallions;

　　Steps: 1. Rinse the fish bits with water, drain, and neatly arrange them in a shallow dish.

　　2. In a bowl, mix all the seasonings together until well combined.

　　3. Place fatty pork belly in a pan and slowly render the fat over low heat. Pour the rendered fat into the bowl with the seasonings and mix well. Drizzle the prepared fermented black bean sauce over the fish bits, then top with the remaining crispy pork fat.

　　4. Steam in a steamer for half an hour.

　　Tip: The oil rendered from the pork fat helps eliminate the fishy smell; because these are dried fish bits, the steaming time should be longer than usual for steaming fresh fish.