Delicious Yajiang Fish

Delicious Yajiang Fish

　　Every late autumn and early winter, Yajiang fish gradually fatten up. If you visit Panzhihua during that time, it’s the perfect season to enjoy a feast of river fish.

Yajiang fish are small-scaled fish belonging to the subfamily Schizothoracinae of the family Cyprinidae, order Cypriniformes, class Actinopterygii. There are four common local varieties, including Schizothorax prenanti, but the most abundant is the Schizothorax microlepis. Though they belong to the same category as the renowned Ya’an Clay Pot Ya Fish, there are subtle differences. In the Panzhihua area, Yajiang fish live in the middle and lower layers of river water and feed on rock-growing algae. They prefer cold water and are difficult to farm artificially. The region 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 to live and reproduce. As the water in the Yalong River within Panzhihua gradually becomes clearer and algae grow abundantly, the fish become fattest around this time, each typically weighing about one kilogram.

According to chefs at local restaurants, Yajiang fish have small heads and large bodies, with tender meat rich in trace elements such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron, making them highly nutritious. To cook the fish, gut and clean them before marinating with cooking wine and oil to remove any fishy taste. From there, they can be prepared in over a dozen different ways. The most popular local dish is pickled vegetable fish: the fish is boiled in clear water with leafy pickled vegetables. Several cayenne peppers 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, heat the original broth from the earthen pot. Dip the fish pieces in the broth to eat, and drink the broth straight from the pot—enjoying the original flavors, mellow and refreshing, with a uniquely wild mountain taste.