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Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done

 

Mushrooms and Fungi in China

 

Chinese Vegetables Illustrated

 

Sugar in China

 

Chinese Herbs and Spices

 

Chinese Pickles and Preserves

 

Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish etc in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish and other marine animals I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - Grass Carp being the most raised and consumed. These (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them.

 

Supermarket Freshwater Fish Tanks

You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. In markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp

 

More tomorrow.

Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done

 

Mushrooms and Fungi in China

 

Chinese Vegetables Illustrated

 

Sugar in China

 

Chinese Herbs and Spices

 

Chinese Pickles and Preserves

 

Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - Grass Carp being the most raised and consumed. These (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them.

 

Supermarket Freshwater Fish Tanks

You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. In markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp

 

More tomorrow.

Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done

 

Mushrooms and Fungi in China

 

Chinese Vegetables Illustrated

 

Sugar in China

 

Chinese Herbs and Spices

 

Chinese Pickles and Preserves

 

Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - Grass Carp being the most raised and consumed. These (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them.

 

Supermarket Freshwater Fish Tanks

You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. In markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp

 

More tomorrow.

Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done Mushrooms and Fungi in China, Chinese Vegetables Illustrated, Sugar in China, Chinese Herbs and Spices, Chinese Pickles and Preserves, and Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp being the most raised and consumed. These (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them. You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. In markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp

 

More tomorrow.

Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done Mushrooms and Fungi in China, Chinese Vegetables Illustrated, Sugar in China, Chinese Herbs and Spices, Chinese Pickles and Preserves, and Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp being the most raised and consumed. These (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them. You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. In markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

 

More tomorrow.

Sea fish in my local supermarket

 

 

In the past I've started a few topics focusing on categorised food types I find in China. I’ve done Mushrooms and Fungi in China, Chinese Vegetables Illustrated, Sugar in China, Chinese Herbs and Spices, Chinese Pickles and Preserves, and Chinese Hams.

 

I’ve enjoyed doing them as I learn a lot and I hope that some people find them useful or just interesting.

 

One I’ve always resisted doing is Fish in China. Although it’s interesting and I love fish, it just felt too complicated. A lot of the fish I see here, I can’t identify, even if I know the local name. The same species may have different names in different supermarkets or wet markets. And, as everywhere, a lot of fish is simply mislabelled, either out of ignorance or plain fraud.

 

However, I’ve decided to give it a go.

 

I read that 60% of fish consumed in China is freshwater fish. I doubt that figure refers to fresh fish though. In most of China only freshwater fish is available. Seawater fish doesn’t travel very far inland. It is becoming more available as infrastructure improves, but it’s still low. Dried seawater fish is used, but only in small quantities as is frozen food in general. I live near enough the sea to get fresh sea fish, but 20 years ago when I lived in Hunan I never saw it. Having been brought up yards from the sea, I sorely missed it.

 

I’ll start with the freshwater fish. Today, much of this is farmed, but traditionally came from lakes and rivers, as much still does. Most villages in the rural parts have their village fish pond. By far the most popular fish are the various members of the carp family with 草鱼 (cǎo yú) - Ctenopharyngodon idella - grass carp being the most raised and consumed. This (and the other freshwater fish) are normally sold live and every supermarket, market (and often restaurants) has ranks of tanks holding them. You point at the one you want and the server nets it out. Im markets, super or not, you can either take it away still wriggling or, if you are squeamish, the server will kill, descale and gut it for you. In restaurants, the staff often display the live fish to the table before cooking it.

 

These are either steamed with aromatics – garlic, ginger, scallions and coriander leaf / cilantro being common – or braised in a spicy sauce or, less often, a sweet and sour sauce or they are simply fried. It largely depends on the region.

 

Note that, in China, nearly all fish is served head on and on-the-bone.

 

 

More tomorrow.