Huyang Stew

Huyang Stew

　　Huyang Stew

　　In our water town, Jinhu, there is a famous dish called “Huyang Stew.” Just from the name, you can tell it’s related to aquatic products. Tracing back to its origins, this iconic dish also has an inseparable connection with the legendary revolutionary leader, Marshal Chen Yi.

　　At that time, our New Fourth Army had many wounded soldiers. Due to the enemy’s tight blockade, lack of medicine, and insufficient supplies, the wounded could only treat their injuries with herbs and survive on reed roots, wild vegetables, and fish or shrimp. Because of prolonged malnutrition, the health of the wounded soldiers deteriorated rapidly, which affected the combat effectiveness of the army. Marshal Chen Yi, who was then the commander of the New Fourth Army, was extremely worried. Just then, a local “old traditional doctor,” with the help of the underground Communist Party organization, risked his life to sneak into the reed marshes to use herbal medicine to help treat the wounded. The over seventy-year-old “old doctor,” seeing the pale, emaciated, and feeble wounded soldiers, couldn’t help but shed tears. He deeply admired these brave soldiers who were fighting on the battlefield for the survival of the nation. Overcome with emotion, he shared his family’s treasured health-preserving dish with Chen Yi. Following the “old doctor’s” secret recipe, they used locally available ingredients to carefully prepare the dish. The fishermen on the lake, upon learning of the situation, also contributed the needed aquatic products. After eating this medicinal and nourishing dish continuously for more than ten days, the wounded soldiers showed miraculous results — their wounds healed quickly, their strength returned, and their faces glowed with health and vitality as they picked up their guns once again to fight heroically on the anti-Japanese battlefields. Originally named “Yang-Strengthening Soup,” Marshal Chen Yi felt the name was too vulgar. Inspired, he personally renamed it “Huyang Stew” and even composed a poem on the spot: *“Huyang Stew, truly marvelous, Tastes delicious, healing power strong. Builds the body, lifts the spirit, Saves the wounded, great merit shown. The bond of fish and water, forever in heart, Fighting the enemy, brave and bold…”* Since then, this nourishing dish, which embodies the deep bond between the military and civilians and carries a glorious revolutionary tradition, spread from the military to the public. It transitioned from being mysterious to becoming widely enjoyed, and has since been further developed and celebrated.

　　In reality, the ingredients and cooking process for this famous dish are not complicated, but the selection of ingredients and preparation method are quite particular. Choose a wild eel from the Gaobao Lake area weighing between 8 liang (approx. 300g) and 1 jin (approx. 500g) — the best size. Larger ones tend to be tough and tasteless, while smaller ones lack flavor. The eel must be slaughtered alive using a bamboo blade, bled, and then cleaned. The eel blood should be set aside in a bowl. Cut the eel into inch-long pieces and simmer them in an earthenware pot over low heat, adding ginger slices and a little bit of salt. After one hour, add pre-filtered eel blood cubes that have been blanched in boiling water. Then, finely chop well-washed Chinese chives into inch-long segments and add them to the boiling eel soup. At this point, the soup turns a vibrant green with white, giving off an incredibly fragrant aroma that makes your mouth water. A bite of the tender eel is incredibly smooth, and a sip of the broth leaves your mouth watering with endless aftertaste — almost as luxurious as bear paw or bird’s nest. Eel is considered yin in nature and is known as the “water dragon,” while Chinese chives are yang in nature and are referred to as the “yang-strengthening vegetable.” This combination of yin and yang helps nourish both, making it a rare and precious health-nourishing delicacy. When visiting or sightseeing in Jinhu, not trying the water town’s famous dish “Huyang Stew” would be a lifelong regret.