Lianghe Small Flower Fish

Lianghe Small Flower Fish

　　Lianghe Small Flower Fish is a specialty of Lianghe County in Dehong Prefecture, Yunnan Province. The fish has soft bones, rich fat, and a sweet flavor. Whether pan-fried, deep-fried, or boiled, it leaves an unforgettable taste and earns high praise.

　　“Lianghe County, such a nice place, white rice served with flower fish soup.” Lianghe Small Flower Fish is a local signature dish. It is said that back in the day, Cao Yixiu, a local rat-catching expert from Jiubao in Lianghe County, after being received by Chairman Mao in Beijing (at a conference), returned to Lianghe and once sent Chairman Mao a pound of personally cured and sun-dried small flower fish, receiving a reply from the Chairman’s office.

　　The small flower fish are found among the rocks and sand in the middle section of the Daying River (from Xiaohe Di in Tengchong County to Dahua Bridge in Lianghe County), where they feed on insects. When the spring river warms up, the small flower fish swim in groups to the shallow waters near the riverbanks to spawn.

　　The small flower fish are about as thick as a little finger and over an inch long, with greenish skin dotted with beautiful patterns. This fish has soft bones, rich fat, and a sweet flavor. Whether pan-fried, deep-fried, or boiled, it leaves an unforgettable taste and earns high praise. Locals often cure and sun-dry the small flower fish with spices and send them as treasured gifts to relatives and friends far away.