Dried rice-field fish

Dried rice-field fish

　　Drying live rice-field fish into golden fish jerky is the traditional way the people of Quanzhou preserve them. Fresh fish dug from the rice paddies, no matter how they are raised afterward, will lose their distinctive fragrant taste within two months—but when made into cured fish jerky, that aroma remains. The locals call these dried rice-field fish “cured fish bits.” The finished product is golden and glossy, makes your mouth water just by the aroma, and never gets tiresome even if eaten often. There’s an old saying in Quanzhou: “Rice-field fish with wine—seeing it makes you stay.” When the fish are harvested from the fields, every household is filled with their fragrance. In ancient times, the locals had a custom: “Whoever smells it joins the feast, drinks wine, and eats the fish.” “Cured fish bits with rice—you’ll scrape the pot clean,” and “Stir-fried fish innards—you’ll eat till you burst” are all very true sayings.

　　The history of rice-field fish farming in Quanzhou County goes back a long way. According to elders, the practice began in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, making it over 1,700 years old, and it became a tribute item in the early Southern Song Dynasty, which is over 800 years ago. Based on oral accounts from elders, the Tao family genealogy, and ancient tombstone inscriptions: When Emperor Lizong of Song was still the crown prince, Tao Chong from Quanzhou (who later rose to the rank of Academician of Baomo Pavilion) once brought dried rice-field fish when he visited home. The crown prince loved it and couldn’t stop praising it. After Tao Chong explained that the fish were raised among rice-field flowers and that fresh ones tasted even better, the crown prince insisted on having the fresh ones. Scholar Tao then wrote a letter asking his family to send fresh fish to the capital. Once the crown prince tasted the fresh fish, he never forgot it. After ascending the throne, he immediately ordered the magistrate of Quanzhou to send it as tribute, and all the court officials also competed to eat it. From then on, Quanzhou’s rice-field fish became a tribute item, which also promoted the farming of rice-field fish throughout the county.