Whitefish from Hongze Lake

Whitefish from Hongze Lake

Whitefish from Hongze Lake is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Legend has it that when Yu the Great was taming the floods and passed by Hongze Lake—back in ancient times when people relied mainly on fishing and hunting for survival—the workers building the water control projects fell ill one after another due to hunger and cold. Yu was deeply concerned when he heard that the local Hongze Lake abounded in fish and shrimp, especially whitefish, which were plump, large, good for health and healing, and deliciously fresh. Unfortunately, a vicious dragon appeared out of nowhere, stirring up storms and bringing devastation to all living beings. Fishermen dared not go out on the lake, and residents near the shore fled their homes, leading to an extreme shortage of food. Upon hearing this, Yu became furious and immediately set off alone with some dry rations, determined to eliminate the menace and punish the wicked dragon. Along the way, he received divine strength from Guanyin Bodhisattva, a magical whip from the Taoist immortal Zhang Guolao, and the support of a divine turtle. He then fought the dragon in the depths of the lake for three days and three nights before finally slaying it. From then on, the people around the lake were able to resume their normal fishing and hunting lives. Yu used the whitefish he caught from the lake to comfort the workers, and after eating the steamed whitefish prepared by Yu, the workers became strong and vigorous. They quickly joined Yu in diverting the waters of the Huai River and the Yellow River into the sea, successfully controlling the flood.

　　Since then, the whitefish of Hongze Lake has become famous.

　　Whitefish from Hongze Lake is a premium fish species, with few bones and tender, white flesh. It boasts a delicious taste without being fishy and is highly nutritious. It has long been regarded as a delicacy and has been offered as a tribute to the imperial family since the Sui Dynasty.

　　Whitefish from Hongze Lake belongs to the carp family. It is commonly known as sharp-snout bream, delicate fish, white flatfish, yellow-white fish, sharp-snout fish, big whitefish, or sharp-snout whitefish. It usually inhabits the clear, gravel-bottomed waters of Hongze Lake and overwinters in the deep, rocky areas of the lake. It swims swiftly, is good at jumping, and is fierce in nature, feeding on other small fish. It is a medium to small-sized edible fish. The whitefish from Hongze Lake generally grows to 25–55 cm in length, with larger ones weighing 20–30 kg. It has fine scales and bones, snow-white and tender flesh, rich subcutaneous fat, and closely resembles perch, with a flavor comparable to that of the perch from the Jiangnan region.

　　Whitefish from Hongze Lake has high medicinal value, with benefits such as nourishing kidneys, benefiting the brain, clearing orifices, and promoting urination. In particular, its fish brain is a rare tonic for strengthening the body.

　　Whitefish from Hongze Lake is famed far and wide for the sweet and delicious water of Hongze Lake. Since ancient times, fishermen on Hongze Lake have been boiling whitefish in the lake’s water to entertain visiting relatives and friends, a practice that has been widely praised. Later, through the dedicated efforts of fishermen in the Hongze Lake area, the traditional delicacy Steamed Whitefish from Hongze Lake was created and served at imperial banquets. There are two ways to prepare steamed whitefish: for high-end banquets, the focus is on savoring the broth to enjoy its fresh juice, with the fish itself being delicate and free from overly salty or bland flavors; the other method emphasizes the fish itself, allowing the broth to penetrate the flesh during steaming—a technique known as the steaming method. Both methods require live fish. When Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty visited Hongze Lake during his southern inspection tour, this dish received high praise. Whitefish meat from Hongze Lake is also used to make fish balls for soup, resulting in an exceptionally tender and flavorful dish that is truly delightful and has always been popular with consumers. Skillful fishermen in the Hongze Lake area often use the tender meat of the whitefish—after deboning—to mimic crab meat, and the red yolk of salted duck eggs to imitate crab roe, creating crab dishes that are almost indistinguishable from the real thing. Fishermen in the Hongze Lake area also enjoy salting and drying the whitefish before steaming it, resulting in a fragrant aroma and an appetite-whetting dish.