China News Agency, Wuhan, July 7th: The most fresh Wuchang fish: a collection of "poetry, history and food"
Author Wu Yili
Take a fresh Wuchang fish, remove the scales, change the knife, apply salt, boil water, supplement it with more than ten kinds of ingredients such as winter bamboo shoots, mushrooms, ham, onion and ginger, and steam it with high heat.
When steamed, the atmosphere is "lifting the sky", and the fragrance is overflowing from the oven, and then a spoonful of chicken soup is added to thicken the finish, and the steamed Wuchang fish, which enjoys the reputation of "the first dish in Chutian", is placed on the table.
The picture shows that on June 15, in Ezhou, Hubei, the fourth-generation Wuchang fish inheritor and chef Shi Jianjun of Ezhou Great Wall V Hotel made steamed Wuchang fish.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang
There is no place without fish.
In Hubei, the province of thousands of lakes and the land of fish and rice, Wuchang fish is the "highest etiquette" in the local people's banquets.
"Book of Songs" records: "If it eats fish, it must be bream in the river." The bream, that is, Tuantou bream, also known as Wuchang fish, is one of the seven freshwater fish in China and is rich in Ezhou, Hubei.
It was named after Sun Quan of the Three Kingdoms Soochow built the capital of Wuchang (now Ezhou), and was named after Wuchang fish feasts for heroes. It has been in use for more than 1,700 years.
In ancient times, scholars and writers such as Wang Anshi and Su Shi left more than 100 poems for it. Nearly there is "drinking the water of the Yangtze River and eating Wuchang fish", which made Wuchang fish famous all over the world.
The picture shows the ingredients and accessories for steamed Wuchang fish prepared by chefs in Ezhou, Hubei on June 15.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang
Since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the craftsmanship of Wuchang fish has sprung up, and now it has become an intangible cultural heritage in Hubei Province and has become the "top stream" in Chu cuisine.
"Eat an authentic Chu dish, starting with Wuchang fish, which is a must-order dish for Chinese and foreign tourists to Hubei." Shi Jianjun, the fourth-generation inheritor of Wuchang fish and chef of V Hotel Great Wall in Ezhou, said in an interview with reporters recently.
According to Shi Jianjun, the authentic Wuchang fish has a small head, a flat and high body, a diamond shape, and thirteen and a half large spines.
Ezhou Liangzi Lake, where Wuchang fish grows, is connected with the Yangtze River water system, making it nourished by both river water and lake water.
The picture shows that on June 15, in Ezhou, Hubei, the fourth-generation Wuchang fish inheritor and chef Shi Jianjun of Ezhou Great Wall V Hotel made steamed Wuchang fish.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang
Steaming can maximize the freshness of Wuchang fish.
Steamed Wuchang fish is an intangible cultural heritage dish, and it is also a "skillful dish". In addition to using more than ten kinds of ingredients to remove the fishy smell and freshen it up, there is also a hidden "mystery": before steaming, add lard and heat it, and soak into the original fish juice; about After 13 minutes, it comes out of the oven, boil the chicken stock and pour the fish body.
The Wuchang fish cooked in this way is bright yellow, the fish meat is oily and delicate, and the soup is mellow and sweet, so that it can show the freshness of "the moment when the first ripeness leaves the kettle".
The picture shows that on June 15, in Ezhou, Hubei, the fourth-generation Wuchang fish inheritor and chef Shi Jianjun of Ezhou Great Wall V Hotel made steamed Wuchang fish.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang
"Wuchang fish stuffed with flowers, crispy Lin Wuchang fish, grilled Wuchang fish with green onions..." Shi Jianjun did all the tricks.
After years of development, Hubei chefs who are good at cooking fish will never waste every delicacy on the fish.
In 2018, Ezhou assembled 120 chefs for three days and three nights to cook 155 delicacies with Wuchang fish as the only ingredient, breaking the Guinness World Record for the most unique ingredients of Wuchang fish.
Cai Zhenghua, a national senior cooking technician, believes that Wuchang fish is one of the typical representatives of Wu and Chu culture, which is a collection of poetry, history, cooking and folklore.
Since the 1960s, Wuchang fish has been artificially bred in Ezhou. Nowadays, this delicacy is indispensable in all the time-honored restaurants in Hubei.
The picture shows that on June 15, in Ezhou, Hubei, the fourth-generation Wuchang fish inheritor and chef Shi Jianjun of Ezhou Great Wall V Hotel made steamed Wuchang fish.
Photo by China News Agency reporter Zhang Chang
Not only that, Wuchang fish self-heating rice, pre-made dishes, snack foods and other peripheral products are also gradually emerging.
Data shows that there are more than 130 Wuchang fish processing enterprises and self-employed households in Ezhou, Hubei, with an annual processing capacity of 20,000 tons.
Wuchang fish is "touring" in large quantities to the whole country and exported overseas, enriching the dining table of ordinary people.
"Wuchang fish processing products are particularly popular in Chinese supermarkets in the United States, Singapore, France and other places," said Liu Jiping, chairman of Fu Nong Group, the largest Wuchang fish processing company in Ezhou. "When you are in a foreign land, you will always miss the taste of such a family. "(Finish)