Crucian carp

Crucian carp

　　Crucian carp

　　Crucian carp, one of the "Three Flowers," also known as crucian flower carp, is not your ordinary crucian carp—it's a river crucian. Regular crucian carp are shuttle-shaped, at most slightly wider than a shuttle. The crucian flower carp, however, is oval-shaped, with a plump and quite pleasing body. Regular crucian carp have dull grayish-black scales that don’t stand out, but the crucian flower carp boasts silvery-white scales that are dazzlingly beautiful. A regular crucian carp weighing half a jin is already considered good, and if it’s any larger, it doesn’t taste as good. The crucian flower carp can grow up to five jin, and the bigger it is, the better it tastes. With its large size and fresh meat, it can be prepared in clear soup, stewed soup, clear stew, steamed, pan-fried and braised, or red-cooked—no matter how you cook it, it’s delicious.