Sole of a Sort
The salmon and sole ramen image above leads naturally me on to 龙利鱼 (lóng lì yú)*, Solea solea, Sole. By ‘sole’ I want to be referring to the common sole, aka Dover sole. American sole is a different family of fishes. But so might this be.
In fact, I strongly suspect it isn’t sole at all, but Limanda aspera, Yellowfin Sole which, unlike true sole, does inhabit local waters. This is probably a good thing as the true soles have been red-listed by Greenpeace International since 2010 as the species’ survival is severely threatened. Yellowfin sole are considered sustainable.
Whatever the species, it’s a rather tasteless flatfish sold, both fresh and frozen, in every supermarket. I never buy the frozen; it is usually more water than fish! I occasionally buy the fresh to bulk out fish soups etc. I have fried it dressed with oatmeal. Once. It is mostly steamed by the locals, I’m told.
Frozen Sole Fillet
Not a lot to say about this, I’m afraid. It’s not bad; just boring. No soul! Hopefully, something more interesting will turn up in tomorrow’s net!
* The Chinese name is also sometimes given as 鳎 (tǎ), but that is only really used in zoological circles. I’ve never seen it on any fish counter or frozen product label..
