Yajiang Fish

Yajiang Fish

　　Every late autumn to early winter, it’s the perfect time to enjoy river fish. Yajiang Fish is a type of fine-scaled fish, belonging to the subfamily Schizothoracinae of the family Cyprinidae in the order Cypriniformes of the class Actinopterygii. Common varieties include four types such as Schizothorax prenanti, but the most abundant is the fine-scaled Schizothorax. It is of the same category as the famously renowned Ya’an Claypot Ya Fish, though with slight differences.

　　The Yajiang Fish in the Panzhihua area live in the middle and lower layers of the river, feeding on rock-growing algae. They prefer cold water and are difficult to breed artificially. The rivers in this region are crisscrossed, with steep banks and turbulent currents, and the water temperature is relatively cool—especially in the Yalong River—making it an ideal habitat for this fish to thrive and reproduce. In winter, the water in the Yalong River within Panzhihua gradually becomes clearer, and algae grow abundantly, so the fish at this time are at their plumpest, each weighing about one kilogram. Yajiang Fish have small heads and large bodies, with tender meat that is rich in trace elements such as phosphorus, calcium, and iron, making them highly nutritious.