Fish etc in China

[Anchobrie]

On 3/27/2025 at 11:14 PM, liuzhou said:

 

I’m poised to enter the deep and treacherous waters of nomenclature. This time not only in the Chinese but also the English.

 

I’m looking at the Testudines order of reptiles. These include what I will refer to as turtles, tortoises and terrapins, although not everyone may agree. This is the preferred British nomenclature and that’s what I’m most used to. In the Chinese mind and the minds of many other cultures, they’re all the same thing. In Mandarin, 龟 (guī) is used for all three, although 海龟 (hǎi guī) can be used to specify the marine variety as can 鼋 (yuán). 甲鱼 (jiǎ yú) is used for both sea turtles and freshwater terrapins; rarely for tortoises.

 

甲鱼 (jiǎ yú) is perhaps odd as individually the characters mean ‘shell fish’. The shell part is easy to understand, but fish? Clearly not. However, 鱼 is often used in the names of aquatic animals other than fish. There are a few other names used in the names of specific types of whatever you call them, but they are not relevant here.

 

 

In common British usage turtles are marine whereas tortoises are land based. Terrapins are tiny freshwater turtles. These distinctions are not always observed in other English speaking countries.

 

But it’s as food we are thinking here. Both turtles and tortoises are eaten, rarely terrapins which tend instead to be sold as pets for children. They are also often served at wedding banquets,. When I lived in Hunan, there was a whole street of turtle restaurants. I’ve never really seen the point. They aren’t, in my opinion, good eating. Tough and bland. I suspect they are popular for a misplaced belief that they have aphrodisiac properties and an absurd belief that, because they can live long lives, eating turtles will do the same for you. They do live a long time. A tortoise  collected by Charles Darwin in the Galápagos in 1835 lived until 2006; a lot longer than Darwin did.

 

Braised Turtle

 

Turtles, particularly their shells are used in TCM for all the usual nonsense.

 

Guilinggao (龟苓膏 guī líng gāo), a herbal medicine / dessert was traditionally used making a specific type of turtle shell, but today rarely contains any at all. The link gives more information on that.

 

A 2 kg turtle costs around ¥100 / $14 USD. A pet terrapin costs ¥5 // 70 cents.

 

Pet Terrapins

 

 

Very nice stuff, People does not talk much about eating turtles/tortoises/terrapins, but here in the shores of the "newly" named "gulf of America" you can sometimes find snapping turtles dishes. Not as great thing...

 

BTW, your braised turtle image actually shows  a terrapin.

 

[liuzhou]

12 minutes ago, Anchobrie said:

BTW, your braised turtle image actually shows  a terrapin.

 

As I pointed out in my post, tortoises, terrapins and sea turtles are ALL turtles in most of the world's terminology, especially among zoologists.

[Anchobrie]

Just now, liuzhou said:

 

As I pointed out in my post, tortoises, terrapins and sea turtles are ALL turtles in most of the world's terminology, especially among zoologists.

I know, I was just answering based on your own suggestions about what to call what. I happen to go from time to time with some zoologists to trap turtles (and other living critters). In fact, I'll be "turtle" trapping next week around Alabama's coast 

[liuzhou]

This is the sort of nonsense I'm up against.

 

 

These were being sold as 剑鱼 (jiàn yú) which translates as 'swordfish, which they clearly aren't.

 

They're plain old catfish! Specifically channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, America's most fished species. They have been introduced around the world, including to China. However, in many countries, they are classified as an unwelcome invasive species.

$3 USD / 500g.

 

We do get real swordfish to which I will return.

 

 

Edited Friday at 02:02 AM by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

Swordfish which aren’t catfish are 剑鱼 (jiàn yú) in Chinese. Xiphias gladius in scientific terms. It is no surprise that we get them here; they are one of the most widespread sea fish being found in all oceans, except in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

 

Swordfish distribution (blue)

 

The pink fleshed variety available in some places is a result of those fish’s diet, but are unavailable here.

 

Image: cshdsj.com.cn.jpg

 

They normally grow to around 3 metres / 10 ft in length unless caught first. Those I see here are much shorter. Despite being found in local waters, it is not a particularly popular fish here. When available, these oily fish are usually sold as steaks which are fried or occasionally grilled. I have once or twice however seen what I take to be babies sold whole in some supermarkets.

 

There are concerns regarding the conservation status.

 

Swordfish sells at around $2.30 / 500g.

 

The USFDA recommends that young children, pregnant women, and women planning to become pregnant not eat swordfish as they can contain high levels of methylmercury,

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

Hainan is a group of tropical islands and China’s southernmost province. The largest island by far is the eponymous Hainan Island. It is a favourite tourist resort, especially the city of Sanya on its southern tip with its white beaches. Seafood is a speciality here, but not its only one: much of the fruit we get here is from the island.

 

Hainan's location in China.

 

The Singaporean / Malaysian favourite, Hainan chicken rice (HCR) isn’t generally found in Hainan. The dish was invented in Singapore by a Hainanese immigrant but using local ingredients. Wenchang chicken from Hainan on the other hand is a much prized breed and may have been used in HCR, but rarely is now.

 

Yesterday, this caught my attention on my delivery app.

 

 

Most people will know red snapper, but it doesn’t end there. Snappers are members of 笛鲷属 (dí diāo shǔ), Lutjanus, a genus in the Lutjanidae family. There are 73 known species within the Lutjanus genus and innumerable colours. Some are striped; others are spotted. They like to live in mangroves and both tropical and subtropical coral reefs, which Hainan has aplenty.

 

What was being sold to me was a mixed selection from 19 types they list. I don’t get to choose – they do, supposedly at random. However the minimum I can order is 3kg. If I want the larger samples, I have to buy 10kg. Pass. I’m just lil’ ole’ me; not a restaurant.

 

Precise species are not usually identified. In the image they describe two only by colour: ‘white’ (left) and ‘green’ (centre). The red one the right is the only one of the 19 I have managed to track down. It is Lutjanus sanguineus, humphead snapper or scarlet snapper.

 

Prices range wildly, but none are cheap.

 

 

Edited 4 minutes ago by liuzhou (log)