Taihu Whitebait

Taihu Whitebait

Taihu whitebait is a geographical indication protected product.

　　Whitebait is a famous specialty of Taihu Lake. Hence, it is also known as Kuaican fish or Wangyu fish. During the reign of Emperor Kangxi in the Qing Dynasty, it was ranked among the "Three Treasures of Taihu Lake" along with meizhi fish and white shrimp. Resembling a jade hairpin, whitebait is delicate, transparent, and almost boneless, with a silvery hue. Taihu Lake has been abundant in whitebait since the Spring and Autumn Period. Varieties include the large whitebait, Lei’s whitebait, the short-snout whitebait of Taihu, and the few-toothed short-snout whitebait. The flesh of whitebait is tender, delicious, and highly nutritious. Dishes and snacks such as stir-fried whitebait with eggs, whitebait balls, hibiscus whitebait, and whitebait wontons are renowned specialties of Taihu Lake.

　　　Also known as icefish or glassfish.

　　 　　A collective term for various semi-transparent fish species belonging to the genus Salanx of the family Salangidae. Found in brackish and freshwater environments in East Asia, they are celebrated as a delicacy in China. They have slender, salmon-like bodies, lack scales or have fine scales, and rarely grow longer than 15 centimeters (6 inches). They have large mouths with big, sharp teeth and are predatory fish.

　　 　　Whitebait is a freshwater fish, about seven to ten centimeters long, with a slightly round body that is delicate, transparent, and silvery in color—hence its name. Those found at the mouth of the Yangtze River are slightly longer and are commonly called "miàn zhàng yú" (noodle fish) or "miàn tiáo yú" (noodle fish). Taihu whitebait has a long history. According to the "Taihu Beikao," during the Spring and Autumn Period of the Wu and Yue states, Taihu Lake was already rich in whitebait. There are four varieties of Taihu whitebait: the short-snout whitebait of Taihu, the few-toothed short-snout whitebait, the large whitebait, and Lei’s whitebait. The large whitebait and the short-snout whitebait of Taihu have the highest yields.

　　 Other Names

　　 　　Wangyu (from "Erya" with Guo Pu's commentary), Ge Can Yu (from "Erya Yi"), Yin Tiao Yu (from "Riyong Bencao"), Mian Tiao Yu (from "Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea Fish Survey Report"), Da Yin Yu (from "Fish Taxonomy").

　　 Source

　　 　　The whole body of the fish belonging to the family Salangidae, suborder Osmeroidei, order Salmoniformes.

　　 Animal Morphology

　　 　　Whitebait has a slender, nearly cylindrical body that is slightly flattened from the sides toward the rear, measuring about 12 centimeters in length. Its head is extremely flat. The eyes are large; so is the mouth, with a long, pointed, triangular-shaped snout. The upper and lower jaws are of equal length. The premaxilla, maxilla, lower jaw, and palate all have a row of fine teeth, and the front part of the lower jaw has a pair of canine teeth. There is no fused predentary bone at the front of the lower jaw, but there is a fleshy protrusion. The dorsal fin is II 11–13, located slightly before the rear three-quarters of the body. The pectoral fin has 8–9 rays, with an indistinct muscle base. The anal fin is III 23–28, opposite the dorsal fin; male fish have one row of large scales on each side of the base of the anal fin, usually numbering 18–21. There is a small transparent adipose fin in the middle of the dorsal and caudal fins. The body is soft, scaleless, and entirely transparent; after death, it turns milky white. There is a row of black spots on each side of the body, and on the ventral side, from the chest through the abdomen to the front of the anal fin, there are two parallel rows of small black dots that diverge left and right at the base of the anal fin, then merge at the rear and extend straight to the base of the tail. In addition, small black dots are scattered on the caudal fin and the first ray of the pectoral fin.

　　 Habitat and Distribution

　　 　　It is a freshwater fish capable of living near the sea and exhibits migratory behavior between the ocean and rivers. It is distributed along the coasts from Shandong to Zhejiang, especially abundant in Poyang Lake and areas such as Chongming at the mouth of the Yangtze River. Taihu Lake in China is particularly rich in whitebait. A few species are also found in Korea, Japan, and the Russian Far East, including Sakhalin Island.

　　 Chemical Composition

　　 　　Edible portion per 100 grams contains: 89 grams water, 8.2 grams protein, 0.3 grams fat, 1.4 grams carbohydrates, 1.0 grams ash; 258 milligrams calcium, 102 milligrams phosphorus, 0.5 milligrams iron, 0.01 milligrams thiamine, 0.05 milligrams riboflavin, 0.2 milligrams niacin.

　　 Properties and Flavor

　　 　　"Riyong Bencao": "Sweet in flavor, neutral in nature, non-toxic."

　　 Meridian Tropism

　　 Functions and Indications

　　 　　Nourishes deficiency, strengthens the stomach, benefits the lungs, and promotes diuresis.

　　 　　① "Riyong Bencao": "Regulates the middle energizer and strengthens the stomach; good when cooked with ginger."

　　 　　② Yao Kecheng's "Shiwu Bencao": "Promotes diuresis, moistens the lungs, and calms wheezing."

　　 　　③ "Yilin Zuanyao": "Nourishes the lungs and clears lung heat, nourishes yin, and supplements deficiency fatigue."

　　 　　④ "Suixiju Yingshipu": "Nourishes stomach yin and harmonizes the meridians."

　　 Related Legend

　　 　　Once upon a time, in the Crystal Palace, the Dragon King had a young boy and girl as attendants. The boy was named Yinguo, and the girl was named Yinhua. One day, the Dragon King sent them to the human world to observe the growth of living things. In the human realm, they saw people living happy and fulfilling lives, which they greatly envied. Over time, their bond grew deeper, and they got married, living a free life of mutual respect and love—him farming, her weaving—no longer wishing to return to the Crystal Palace. When the Dragon King learned of this, he considered Yinguo and Yinhua to have violated his decrees, a crime unforgivable. He dispatched water soldiers to capture them and bring them back to the palace for punishment. He then decreed that Yinguo and Yinhua be expelled from the Crystal Palace, to live forever as completely transparent little fish. From then on, Yinguo and Yinhua could only swim in shallow waters. Their love remained deep, and when Yinhua became pregnant, her belly grew larger by the day, and she swam more slowly. Yinguo stayed close to her and searched for food. But the Dragon King found out and flew into a rage, immediately decreeing that they must not give birth. Hearing this, Yinguo and Yinhua were heartbroken and wept endlessly. Yinguo said, “Are you trying to make us extinct?” Yinhua replied, “We are husband and wife—how can we not have children? I am determined to burst my belly and die. This way, our offspring can survive.” With that, Yinhua swam to some rocks, burst her belly to lay her eggs, and died. When Yinguo saw Yinhua die, he carefully placed the eggs and soon passed away as well. This is a mythical tale and not to be taken as fact. But it is true that whitebait live for only one year. Fishermen catch whitebait of all sizes, and they are all from that year’s spawn.

　　 　　Nutritional Analysis of Whitebait

　　 　　Silverfish are a high-protein, low-fat food, making them suitable even for people with hyperlipidemia. In traditional Chinese medicine, they are considered sweet in flavor and neutral in nature, known for nourishing the spleen and stomach, benefiting the lungs, and promoting diuresis. They can help treat weakness of the spleen and stomach, cough due to lung deficiency, and various conditions caused by deficiency and fatigue.