Aquatic Cuisine and Fish

Aquatic Cuisine and Fish

　　Aquatic Cuisine and Fish

　　The Shui ethnic people in Duyun not only cannot do without fish when welcoming guests or hosting banquets — as fish symbolize happiness and good fortune in their hearts — but they also enjoy eating fish in their daily diet. When guests come from afar, the host will surely prepare fish to show the deep bond between host and guest, like that of fish and water, expressing heartfelt sentiments. To experience the everyday dietary customs of the Shui people in Duyun, I invite you to join me on a visit to my Shui friend Lao Pan’s home.

　　To get a taste of the daily dietary habits of the Shui people in Duyun, I invite you to accompany me to the home of my Shui friend, Old Pan.

　　Old Pan lives in a village nestled against mountains and near water. After entering the village gate and walking around a fishpond at the edge of the village, we followed a small path uphill to his home.

　　Old Pan lives in an ancient three-story stilt-style wooden house. Hearing barking dogs outside, he knew guests had arrived and quickly came out to welcome us, leading us to sit by the hearth in the left room of the second-floor main hall. It was late autumn and the weather was getting cool. We sat by the hearth, chatting while warming ourselves — the atmosphere was warm and friendly. When lunchtime came, the hospitable hostess placed an iron tripod over the hearth fire, with a large iron pot of oily sour soup on top. She set down a wooden strip and placed a dipping bowl beside it. The green onions, white salt, and red chilies were so inviting it made our mouths water. Then she brought out a basin of cleaned and sliced carp, placing the pieces one by one into the sour soup.

　　While waiting for the soup to boil, we sipped on the sweet rice wine brewed by Old Pan himself. The Shui people have a long-standing tradition that “the quantity of dishes doesn’t matter, but wine is the most important,” and that “urging guests to drink is a form of respect.” As we drank, the soup soon boiled and the fish cooked. Old Pan then served each of us a fish head in our bowls — a gesture of respect from the host to the guests.

　　Just then, the hostess brought out fresh cabbage and homemade tofu. As she added them to the pot, she said, “Nothing fancy — it’s just that in cold weather, hotpot brings warmth and freshness.” Her words captured the charm of eating Shui-style fish soup. The fish was tender, snow-white, flavorful, and delicious, with a tangy and spicy aftertaste that lingered long. It warmed our bodies and made our noses sweat. Just as we were enjoying the meal and conversation, Old Pan suddenly got up and left the table, leaving everyone puzzled. Soon after, he returned, holding a roughly two-pound carp, which he tossed onto the wooden floor. The fish flopped and jumped, prompting everyone to shout “秀！秀！” (a cheer), bringing the atmosphere to a climax. Then, in front of everyone, Old Pan scaled the carp, removed the gills and innards, cleaned it, and finally placed it in the pot. This sparked another round of drinking and fish-eating. This is called “serving live fish during the meal,” a grand ritual used by the Shui people to welcome honored guests. That’s why every Shui village has fishponds where fish are raised year-round, ready to be caught and cooked at any time.

　　As we ate and chatted, we discussed the various ways the Shui people typically cook fish. Old Pan said that hotpot with sour soup is a common method. In addition, there's fried fish — mixing flour with water, salt, and spices to make a batter, coating fish pieces, and then frying them until golden and crispy, making a great dish to accompany drinks. The flavor is fragrant, crisp, and delicious. If small fish are caught in the river, they can be cleaned, sliced, dried or roasted, and kept for later. When guests arrive, these dried fish can be fried until crispy, then stir-fried with green chilies or tomatoes (called 毛辣果), also making a great drink accompaniment — crispy and spicy. Another option is to make preserved fish. The Shui people in Duyun preserve fish differently from how they preserve meat. They simply roast the fish a bit, keep the scales and innards, and store it uncut in a clay jar along with sour fermented chili, cooked broken rice, and seal it tightly. When eating, they take it out, steam it, and mix it with seasonings and salt. The result is richly aromatic, tender, and flaky fish — extremely delicious. The Shui people love eating fish, which might be related to their ancestors living by rivers, lakes, and seas in southern China, eating fish and shrimp at every meal. Perhaps fish also symbolize happiness and good fortune in their culture. Therefore, fishing and catching fish in rivers is a beloved activity among the Shui people.

　　Every village has either public or private fishponds. In their daily work, they often find opportunities to catch fish. For instance, when men plow or till fields, they often wear bamboo baskets strapped around their waists. Whenever they turn up loaches or eels in the soil, they’ll quickly grab them and put them in the basket. During rice field weeding, if they spot small fish or shrimp, they’ll catch them too, taking them home to dry or roast for use as drinking or dining side dishes.

　　This meal was truly “fish-filled and wine-satisfying,” and it also enriched our knowledge about fish in the Shui people’s cuisine.