Panzhihua Yajiang Fish

Panzhihua Yajiang Fish

　　Panzhihua Yajiang Fish is a renowned local specialty of Panzhihua City in Sichuan Province. It is a type of fine-scaled fish belonging to the schizothoracine subfamily of the carp family, order Cypriniformes, class Actinopterygii. There are four common local varieties, including Qihui schizothoracin, but the fine-scaled schizothoracin is the most abundant. Though it belongs to the same category as the famous Ya'an Ya Fish, there are slight differences between them.

　　The Yajiang Fish in this region inhabits the middle and lower layers of river water, feeding on rock-growing algae. It thrives in cold water and is difficult to farm artificially. The area features crisscrossing rivers with steep banks and rapid currents, along with relatively cool water temperatures—especially in the Yalong River—making it an ideal habitat for these fish. As the water in the Yalong River within Panzhihua gradually becomes clearer and algae flourishes, the fish become fattest at this time, typically weighing around one kilogram each. VFR

　　According to chefs at local restaurants, the fish has a small head and a large body, with tender meat rich in trace elements such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron, offering high nutritional value. When preparing the fish, after gutting and cleaning, it is marinated with cooking wine and oil to eliminate the fishy taste, which then allows for over seventeen different cooking styles. VFR

　　The most popular local preparation is pickled vegetable fish: the fish is boiled in clear water together with leafy pickled vegetables. Several fresh red chilies are buried in the hot ashes of the stove until crispy, then crushed by hand and placed in a small dish with salt and MSG. Once the fish is cooked, the original broth is heated up again, and the fish pieces are dipped into it while drinking the broth straight from the pot. The flavor is authentic and refreshing, uniquely wild and mountainous in taste. VFR