The snakehead is mainly produced in the Minjiang River that lies the foot of the Giant Buddha. There is a building near there, where Su Dongpo studied in the Giant Buddha Temple, and it is said that Su Dongpo dyed fish in the river with Chinese ink and so the fish began to be called snakehead. During the preparation of this dish, scales, gill, bowels and bone spurs are removed first, and then the other ingredients are added to it. After it is stored for a while, the fish meat is put into an oil bath for frying until it becomes crisp and the color becomes golden yellow. Then it should be scooped up from the oil and put into a dish. The juice, which is made of ginger, shallot, garlic, bean sauce, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and so on, is poured onto the fish, and then three-color filaments (Shallot, ginger and pickled pepper) are placed on it. At this time, the dish has been successfully made. Features of this dish are that the color is golden yellow, the fish is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, the taste is sweet, sour and a little hot, and the flavor is strong and lush. Guo Moruo once mentioned this dish in his masterpiece “School Time”. |