A Sad tale
Being of the Scottish persuasion by birth and upbringing, I am extremely partial to smoked fish. Kippers, Finnan Haddie, Arbroath Smokies, Smoked Mackerel and, of course, Smoked Salmon etc.
Here in China, I have a problem. A lot of “smoked” fish has never been near smoke other than perhaps the vendor’s cigarette in its life! Probably the most famous dish is what is usually described as Shanghai Smoked Fish, 上海熏鱼 (shàng hǎi xūn yú). I enjoy this but smoked it ain’t.
Shanghai Not Smoked Fish - Image Mietuan Online Shopping App
This misnaming isn’t dishonesty or deliberate fraud but a linguistic / translation problem. 熏 (xūn) can mean ‘smoked’ but has other meanings such as to fumigate, to assail the nostrils, to perfume. I suggest the nostril assault meaning is the correct one for the fish, which is usually carp.
This Mala Market piece goes into detail as to how it’s actually made, although it doesn’t mention the linguistic confusion.
Another word for ‘smoke’ is 烟 (yān), which also mend cigarette or tobacco. This is slightly more reliable but still no guarantees. It is often combined with 熏 (xūn) to give 烟熏 (yān xūn). Which still tells you not very much. More reliable but far from infallible is 熏烤 (xūn kǎo) which means ‘to smoke or cure over a wood fire’.
The only decent, actually smoked fish I’ve found here was rather expensive smoked sturgeon from the world’s largest caviar supplier.
Smoked Sturgeon
Recently, I recently found some smoked herring, made in China, but described as Russian style. I tried to have it delivered from Heilongjiang Province, China’s most northern bordering Siberia. As soon as I placed the order they announced it had been withdrawn from sale.
😭😭😭
