Four Treasures of Taihu Lake

Four Treasures of Taihu Lake

　　The whitebait is a freshwater fish, about seven to ten centimeters long, slightly round in body shape, delicate, transparent, and silvery in color, hence the name. Those from the mouth of the Yangtze River are slightly longer and commonly known as “miàn zhàng yú” (literally “yard-long fish”) or “miàn tiáo yú” (literally “noodle fish”). Taihu whitebait has a long history. According to the *Records of Taihu Lake*, during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Wu and Yue states, Taihu Lake was abundant with whitebait. A famous line by Song Dynasty scholars goes, “After spring, the silver whitebait and the perch under the frost,” ranking whitebait alongside perch as delicacies among fish. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, whitebait was listed as an imperial tribute, together with white shrimp and anchovy, known as the “Three Treasures of Taihu Lake.” There are four varieties of Taihu whitebait: the short-snout whitebait of Taihu, the few-toothed short-snout whitebait, the large whitebait, and the Lei’s whitebait. The most abundantly produced are the large whitebait and the short-snout whitebait of Taihu. Taihu whitebait spawn in spring on the stems of reeds and aquatic plants around the lake, mainly concentrated between mid-May and late June each year, which is also the peak fishing season. In Dongshan, there is a saying: “When loquats turn yellow in the second month, Taihu whitebait grows fat.” Whitebait is highly nutritious, with fine, snow-white, tender flesh, no scales, bones, or intestines, and no fishy smell, containing a variety of nutrients. Most chilled whitebait is exported overseas and is known as the “fish ginseng.” Dried whitebait, made by sun-drying, retains its color, aroma, taste, and shape over time.

　　Taihu white shrimp, also known as the Exopalaemon modestus, commonly called “crystal shrimp,” lives in the open and shallow waters of Taihu Lake. According to the *Records of Taihu Lake*, “Taihu white shrimp is the best under heaven; when cooked, its color remains snow white. Generally, those from rivers and lakes are larger and whiter, while those from streams are smaller and bluish...” The shrimp is transparent all over, crystal-clear like jade, with slight brown speckles, whiskers on its head, claws on its thorax, protruding eyes, and a forked tail. It mostly inhabits open, shallow beaches with abundant aquatic plants and calm waters. The shrimp feeds mainly on plant debris, organic residue, and small, weak invertebrate plankton, with a growth period of about one year. White shrimp do not have a specific fishing season, but May to July is their spawning period and also the peak catching season. At this time, the shrimp are rich in roe, and fishermen call them “silkworm egg shrimp.” The meat is especially delicious at this time, full of roe and rich in brain matter. Taihu white shrimp is extremely nutritious, with tender, tasty meat and thin, fresh shells. Dishes made from it are excellent in color, aroma, taste, and appearance. Salted and sun-dried Taihu white shrimp can be made into dried shrimp, and when shelled, they become shrimp kernels. The larger ones are called “hú kāi” and the smaller ones “hú mǐ.”

　　The anchovy of Taihu Lake, also known as Coilia ectenes, is commonly seen in Dongshan as both the anchovy and the swordtip anchovy. They have large heads, pointed tails, and laterally compressed bodies resembling bamboo knives. Their bones are tender, scales fine, and they shimmer with silver, with plump, tender meat. They are generally six to twelve centimeters long, and the over-year-old swordtip anchovies can reach up to about thirty centimeters. The *Wanli Ye Huo Bian* records: “Since the Hongwu era of the Ming Dynasty, the founding emperor ordered an annual tribute of ten thousand jin of anchovy.” Hence, it is also called the “tribute fish.” Anchovy thrives in open waters rich in plankton. Every spring, anchovy begin spawning, with juvenile fish appearing in summer and growing to about six centimeters by early autumn, resembling sardines in shape. Every year during the growth period of Taihu anchovy, the lake is “closed” for fishing. Fishing reopens around mid-August, with fishing boats gathering across the lake for a unified catch—an impressive sight. The three months from August to October are the peak season for catching anchovy. Although anchovy are small, they are strong and fast swimmers, so fishermen use large boats with seven sails and drag nets to chase them. Hence, there is a saying among fishermen: “Anchovy chasing needs seven sails.” If they still can’t catch up, windbags are added between the sails to increase speed beyond that of the fish to achieve their goal. A pair of fishing boats can catch one to two tons of fish in a day and night, yielding considerable income. Anchovy are not only tender and delicious but also rich in nutrients, containing various elements needed by the human body, and are considered a delicacy on the dining table. Most anchovy are dried or made into canned food and exported widely. Taihu crab is one of China’s famous freshwater crabs. With tender meat, delicious flavor, rich roe, and fat, it has always been hailed as a treasure among crabs. “Round belly in September, pointed belly in October” means that in September you should eat female crabs (after Cold Dew), and in October, male crabs (around Beginning of Winter), when their nutritional value is extremely rich.

　　　Taihu crabs have the characteristic of reproductive migration, breeding at the junction of river and sea and growing fat in freshwater. Taihu crabs are large in size, with green backs, white bellies, yellow hairs, and golden hooks, fully comparable to Yangcheng Lake hairy crabs. Taihu crabs typically weigh about 200–250 grams net, with delicate meat and rich nutrition, containing ample protein, fat, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, riboflavin, thiamine, and more. They have high medicinal value, capable of dispelling blood stasis, soothing tendons and mending bones, detoxifying, and the crab claws even have the function of inducing labor. (Changxing)