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Fish & Seafood

Cantonese Steamed Fish is one of China's best and most famous culinary achievements. The simplicity of it is alluring, the final dish relying on a combination of careful cooking (think al dente] and an apparently simple dressing: ginger, spring and onions, soy sauce and rice wine.

Water boiled raw fish with chili

But the real secret is the freshness of the fish. Almost all fish is purchased still swimming strongly, and goad Chinese restaurants always have their own fish tank in the kitchen. 'Certainly to have a fresh fish and to cause it to become unfresh is a terrible act; recorded one writer in the Ching dynasty. Steamed fish is always cooked whole and the most delicious part of the fish is deemed to be the soft, sweet flesh of the cheeks, which is usually served by the host to an honored guest. The arrival of a large garoupa, the king of fish for the Cantonese, is usually the highlight of a meal or banquet.

Steaming is perfect for fish since a fish is quite delicate, but fish can also he flash-fried, perhaps in a touch of batter, gently pan-fried or braised. Prior to braising, the fish would normally be flash-fried to help it retain its shape.

Seafood such as abalone is feted not for its crispness or softness but for its chewiness, a concept not all non-Chinese can appreciate. Similarly, sea cucumber (beche-de-mer) seems to be something of an acquired taste, but is considered a sought-after delicacy, the best coming from Shandong Province. Oysters are more universally liked, but are rarely eaten fresh by the Chinese outside the coastal areas. Dried oysters can be boiled, the cooking liquid transformed into the highly flavored oyster sauce so popular in Cantonese cooking.

Abalone with lotus seed

All kinds of fish and shellfish are salted and dried and need to be reconstituted with water before use. Southern China is most famous for its salted fish and the aroma in the stores specializing in such products is indeed intense! Salt fish might he flaked into fried rice while conpoy (dried scallop) is a very important addition to soup.

Shark's fin now rather controversial in some quarters is the most prestigious soup ingredient and is a must at Lunar Hew Year dinners, lavish banquets and important business occasions. Lobster is well-loved though very expensive, but prawns, mussels, clams, crabs and scallops feature heavily. The cooking principle far shellfish is not dissimilar to that for fish; steaming or frying for the minimum amount of time to render the flesh al dente rather than flabby.

Flavorings are quite versatile: far example, scallops can be spiced up or simply stir-fried with vegetables.

In spite of China’s long coastline, river fish are more highly prized than those of the sea, and this is also true of so called seafood, such as prawns and crabs. The freshwater catch is considered more fine and delicate than saltwater species. the picturesque city of Hangzhou, near Shanghai, is home to West Lake, which is particularly famous for its fish and shellfish. But landlocked Sichuan Province and the lakes of isolated Yunnan Province, as well as southernmost Guangdong Province, are also great sources of numerous delicacies. Fish is far more sources of numerous delicacies. Fish is more commonly eaten in China than meat, and thus represents an important protein source. The most common varieties are carp and bream, though there are plenty of fish to be seen at the markets that appear to have no obvious Western counterpart and thus no recognizable name.