Qiushui Fish from Kaihua

Qiushui Fish from Kaihua

Qiushui Fish from Kaihua is a geographical indication certification trademark.

　　Qiushui Fish

　　Qiushui Fish from Kaihua is one of the top ten famous dishes of Kaihua. Its uniqueness lies in the environment it comes from. Only grass carp weighing between 500 to 1200 grams, raised in unpolluted spring water, is selected. The cooking method is actually quite simple—much like making fish head tofu. The only difference is that a bit of local purple perilla is added. (First, heat 200g of lard in a wok until hot, then fry the fish until both sides are golden. Add an appropriate amount of rice wine and enough boiling water. Put in about 10g of purple perilla. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer gently. Once the soup turns white, add salt and MSG to taste. After seasoning, it’s ready to serve. Though the method is simple, it has a distinctive regional flavor—and is definitely worth a try.)

　　Qiushui Fish: The signature dish of Kaihua cuisine. Even the directors of A Bite of China couldn’t stop praising it. With nearly a thousand years of history, the method of raising these fish in flowing water is said to have evolved from the release ponds of Tang Dynasty temples. As early as the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, locals in Kaihua dug ponds near streams and mountain springs to raise fish. The resulting fish are classic “cold-water fish”: slow-growing, nutrient-rich, and delicious. Fed on spring water and organic grass, and living a stress-free life, each fish is raised for over four years. This careful nurturing results in exceptional quality.

　　Even in He Tian, the birthplace of Qiushui Fish, it’s not often on the menu. It’s usually reserved for festivals, family gatherings, or when honored guests visit—truly a gesture of the highest respect. After eating, the fish tail is often hung on the doorframe for all the neighbors to see. Eating fish is a big deal here, and serving a large one is especially something to boast about.

　　Thanks to its premium ingredients, the cooking method for Qiushui Fish is surprisingly simple. Heat locally produced rapeseed oil to about 80% hot, let the smoke clear, add ginger for aroma, then put in the fish along with salt, wine, and water—the water must be local mountain spring water, and it must be cooked over a wood-fired stove. With high heat, “the more you simmer tofu and fish, the better they taste.” In just fifteen minutes, the fish soup turns milky white and fragrant, and a pure, rich Qiushui Fish from Kaihua is ready. Chen Xiaoqing, the chief director of A Bite of China, personally visited Kaihua and, after tasting this delicacy, couldn’t help saying, “So satisfying,” and praised it as “authentic farmhouse cooking—simple, bold, and delicious.”