Guiyang Sour Soup Fish

Guiyang Sour Soup Fish

　　Sour Soup Fish Legend has it that long ago, in a mountain village of the Miao Mountains in southeastern Guizhou, there was an elderly and portly village head (a democratically chosen leader) who found climbing hills and slopes extremely strenuous. One day, while his daughter-in-law was cooking rice, she accidentally added too much water. She then scooped the excess hot rice water into an earthen jar. After four or five days, the rice water had fermented into a clear, transparent liquid with a slight tang. When used to cook fish, the taste turned out to be extraordinarily delicious. The village head and his family enjoyed it immensely. From then on, the daughter-in-law frequently used this sour rice water to cook fish. Over time, the village head gradually felt lighter and more agile, no longer finding it difficult to climb up and down the hills. The story quickly spread through the villages of the Miao Mountains, and everyone began to imitate the practice. Thus, “Sour Soup Fish” was born. This dish spread from southeastern Guizhou to Guiyang, where it rapidly developed and flourished, eventually gaining fame both at home and abroad. Its preparation involves using fresh fish as the main ingredient, simmered in a distinctive sour soup from the Miao Mountains of southeastern Guizhou. Locals often serve it as a hot pot dish, cooking and eating it at the table, accompanied by other fresh vegetables, which enhances its nutritional value. Its characteristics include tender and fresh fish, vibrant colors, a pleasantly sour and spicy taste, a clear and delicious broth, and it is known for its special effects such as stimulating the appetite, relieving summer heat, refreshing the spirit, and beautifying the complexion.