Pikeperch

Pikeperch

　　　　Product Name: Pikeperch

　　Common Names: Hairtail, Wind-tail Fish, Beak Fish.

　　Place of Origin: Taihu Lake, Huzhou.

　　Product Characteristics: Warm in nature, sweet in flavor, with tender bones, fine scales, silvery sheen, and tender, fatty flesh.

　　Season: Every spring, the female pikeperch begins to spawn. Juvenile fish appear in summer and can grow to about six centimeters by early autumn, resembling a wind-tail fish in shape. The three months from August to October are the peak season for pikeperch fishing.

　　Nutritional Content: Rich in nutritional value, containing elements such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, and various inorganic salts.

　　Efficacy: Tonifies qi and activates blood circulation, purges fire and detoxifies, strengthens the spleen and stimulates appetite. Pharmacological studies have found that the zinc content in pikeperch can increase infection-resistant lymphocytes in the blood. Clinical evidence also confirms that pikeperch enhances the body’s tolerance to chemotherapy. Suitable for those who are physically weak or suffering from qi deficiency and malnutrition; suitable for children. It should be avoided by those with excessive internal damp-heat or suffering from scabies and itching; also prohibited for patients.

　　Product Description: The female pikeperch of Taihu Lake is also called pikeperch. Commonly seen in Dongshan are the female pikeperch and the male pikeperch, typically six to twelve centimeters long. Last year’s male pikeperch can grow up to about thirty centimeters. The female pikeperch lives in open waters rich in plankton. Every year during the growth period of the Taihu pikeperch, the lake is “closed” to fishing. Fishing reopens around mid-August, drawing a large fleet of fishing boats across the lake for synchronized harvesting, a spectacular sight. Though small in size, the pikeperch is very powerful and fast-swimming. Fishermen use seven-sail large boats with drag nets to chase them. Hence the fishermen say, “Seven sails chase the pikeperch.” If that still fails to catch up, windbags are added between the sails to boost the boat speed beyond that of the fish, achieving the goal of capture. A pair of fishing boats can catch one to two tons of fish in a day and night, yielding considerable income. The pikeperch is not only tender and delicious but also highly nutritious, containing all kinds of elements needed by the human body, and is regarded as a delicacy. Most pikeperch are dried into pikeperch jerky or processed into canned goods, sold far and wide both domestically and internationally.

Product History: Tang Dynasty · Meng Shen: “The meat of the qí fish causes scabies and should not be eaten in excess.” *Shi Jian Ben Cao* (“Food Discrimination Materia Medica”): “The meat of the pikeperch stirs up internal heat and phlegm.” *Shi Wu Ben Cao* (“Food Materia Medica”): “Those with damp diseases or scabies should not eat it.” *Sui Xi Ju Yin Pu* (“Dietary Guide of Sui Xi Studio”): “Eating too much may cause sores and stir up internal heat.” *Wan Li Ye Huo Bian Ji Lu* (“Unofficial Records of the Wanli Era”) states: “Since the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, Emperor Taizu ordered an annual tribute of ten thousand jin of pikeperch.” Hence, it is also called the “Tribute Fish.”

　　Product Anecdote: In the year 221, Sun Quan, who controlled the Jiangdong region, seeing that Cao Pi had replaced the Han and declared himself Emperor of Wei, and that Liu Bei had also declared himself Emperor in Shu, began preparing to proclaim himself emperor. He moved from Gong’an to E (present-day Ezhou), adopting the meaning of “martial prowess bringing prosperity,” and renamed E to Wuchang. In 229, Sun Quan ascended the throne, changed the reign title to “Huanglong,” and moved the capital to Jianye (present-day Nanjing). In 265, Sun Hao, the last ruler of the Wu Kingdom, moved the capital back to Wuchang from Jianye. The people of the Yangzhou prefectures were forced to transport supplies upstream to serve the imperial court and bureaucrats in Wuchang, resulting in heavy labor and widespread resentment. Some even kidnapped Sun Quan’s younger half-brother, Sun Qian, to protest the relocation and the increased burden on the people. Left Chancellor Lu Kai submitted a memorial quoting a children’s rhyme: “Better to drink the water of Jianye than to eat the fish of Wuchang; better to return to Jianye and die than to live in Wuchang.” He strongly urged the return of the capital, and Sun Hao eventually went back to Jianye. Carefully examining these poetic lines reveals that “Wuchang fish” was originally a general term for the fish produced in the Wuchang area, both ancient and modern, including high-quality varieties with tender, delicious meat such as crucian carp (thin-head fish), catfish, bream, mandarin fish {also known as the Chinese perch or pikeperch}. In front of Yellow Crane Tower, there is a backflow in the river where the whirlpools form a plum blossom pattern, commonly known as “plum water.” It is said that the carp from there are the most delicious. The *Jiangxia County Annals* from the Tongzhi era records: “Carp have thirty-six scales, but the carp at the head of Yellow Crane Shoal have thirty-seven scales. Their taste is rich and delicious. People who pickle fish after the Start of Winter love to buy them. Other provinces call them ‘Chu fish.’”