CATDOLL : CATDOLL: What is so wonderful about the Taihu perch, and why have so many people been fascinated by it throughout history?

What is so wonderful about the perch from Taihu Lake, and why have so many people been fascinated by it throughout history?

Taihu perch is a migratory fish that breeds and hatches in seawater and grows up in freshwater. Taihu perch generally inhabits offshore areas. In early spring, they spawn in the estuary where salt and fresh water meet, and then swim back to Taihu Lake. Perch mainly feeds on small fish and shrimps. The largest perch is about half a meter long. Because of the growth environment, movement path and food of perch, the meat of perch is very firm and delicious. Moreover, the taste of perch in each season has its own characteristics. After the frost in August and September, the meat of perch is very white and has no fishy smell, which is very refreshing to eat. Moreover, there are no scales on the body of perch, few and thin thorns, and no bone plates, which are very suitable for steaming.

The reason why Taihu perch is famous is that in the Western Jin Dynasty, Zhang Han, a native of Wujiang, Jiangsu, was an official in Luoyang. One autumn, he missed the delicious perch from his hometown very much, so he used this as an excuse to resign from his official position and rushed back to his hometown. From then on, Zhang Han's action made "missing water shield and perch" become an allusion to homesickness. Therefore, many poets and celebrities later wrote poems based on tasting the delicious Taihu perch.

Zhang Han's hometown, Wujiang, originates from the Wusong River of Taihu Lake, and there is a river about 20 miles long, so the Wujiang perch in Zhang Han's hometown is also called Taihu perch. In the Song Dynasty, the admiration for perch reached a peak, and Wujiang was shaped into a cultural attraction. During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, many literati and elegant guests went to Wujiang to taste the delicious perch because of the allusion of "the thoughts of water shield and perch".

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the Wusong River became a small river due to the management of the Haihe River, and the perch disappeared. The perch that people eat nowadays are mostly cultivated after the 21st century. The meat of cultivated perch is also very white, plump and tender, and rich in protein and vitamins, which is an extremely precious tonic.

Cultural allusions of Songjiang perch

Origin of Four Gills (Lü Dongbin Draws Four Gills with Cinnabar) There is a moving myth about the origin of the four-gilled perch in Songjiang folklore: It is said that Lü Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, once came down to earth to drink in a restaurant near Xiuye ​​Bridge in Songjiang. He ate a plate of Channa fish with relish, but he always felt that the fishy smell was too strong and the meat was too rough. He asked the owner what the fish was called. The owner told him the truth and wanted to see the live fish. The owner brought 6 live fish from the kitchen on a plate. Lü Dongbin thought the fish was very ugly, so he got excited and asked for a brush and a dish of cinnabar. He dipped the brush tip in cinnabar and drew stripes on the cheeks of the fish, and drew two red gills in front of the gill holes of the two gills. After buying the fish, he released them under Xiuye ​​Bridge. The 6 released Channa fish are said to have turned into four-gilled perch, becoming the earliest ancestor of the four-gilled perch in Songjiang.

Zuo Ci teases Cao Cao (Three Kingdoms)

According to the Biography of Zuo Ci in the Book of the Later Han Dynasty, Cao Cao hosted a banquet in Xuchang. He had a Taoist priest named Zuo Ci who could perform the magic of "fishing in the air". He asked his servants to prepare a basin of water and a fishing rod. In front of Cao Cao and the others, he caught several Songjiang perch from the basin in a short time. Cao Cao was half-doubting and half-believing. He roasted the freshly caught Songjiang perch with ginger and ate it. This story was later compiled into the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and became known to everyone.

Autumn Thoughts on Water Chestnuts and Perch (Resigning from Office for Food)

The story in "Book of Jin·Biography of Zhang Han" is more famous: It is said that Zhang Han was an official in Luoyang. When he saw the bleak autumn wind, he thought of the delicious pheasant-tail water shield and four-gilled perch in his hometown, so he resigned and returned to his hometown. He also wrote a poem "Autumn Wind Song" which said: "The autumn wind rises and the scenery is beautiful. The water of Songjiang River is full of perch. I have come home from three thousand miles away. I hate that I can't get home. I look up to the sky and feel sad. After Zhang Han, in the poetry circles and music gardens of all dynasties, "water shield and perch" was used to express homesickness or the intention of retreating. Therefore, four-gilled perch and water shield were added to the poems and songs by poets and lyricists, and passed down through the ages.

Emperor Yang of Sui (Southeastern delicacy, four-gilled perch)

Four-gilled perch became a tribute in the Sui Dynasty and was very precious. According to the "Nanjun Ji", when Emperor Yangdi went to the south of the Yangtze River, the people of Wu presented Songjiang four-gilled perch to him. After tasting it, Emperor Yangdi praised it and said, "Golden shepherd's purse and jade sashimi are the best taste in the southeast." The "Taiping Guangji" records: "Wujun presented Songjiang four-gilled perch with dried and juicy meat.

Fan Zhongyan, Du Fu, Li Bai, Lu You, Su Dongpo, Yang Wanli, Ge Hong, Fan Chengda, Zheng Banqiao...

"People who travel on the river only love the beauty of perch. Look at the boat, it appears and disappears in the storm." - Fan Zhongyan;

"I no longer miss the perch when I fly east, but I feel the birds building their nests when I fly south." - Du Fu;

"Frost falls on the trees of Jingmen River, and the sails are intact in the autumn wind. This trip is not for the perch garden dumplings!

"Returning to my hometown, I miss perch and water chestnuts at the end of the year." - Lu You;

"The perch comes out of the reeds in the perch village, and it doesn't care about money under the Chuihong Pavilion. No matter how short the jade ruler is, the silver shuttle is straight and round. The white body has three or four black spots, and the fine scales and big mouth are a pair of fresh ones." - Yang Wanli

"Songjiang produces good perch, the taste is different from other places" - Ge Hong;

"The fish is pounded finely and sold as sashimi. The west wind blows up the four-gilled perch. The cedar is soft and sticky, but it can't be found anywhere except in Songjiang." - Fan Chengda

"I bought four pieces of sea bass gills and a bowl of water shield soup with black beans. Recently, Zhang Han has no intention of going out, and will return before the autumn wind blows." - Zheng Banqiao

Chen Jiru

Chen Jiru, a famous writer in the Ming Dynasty, was known as the "Prime Minister in the Mountains". In his book "Xiao Chuang You Ji" (one of the three great books in China), he wrote: "In March, the tea shoots are just beginning to grow fat, and the plum wind is not yet strong; in September, the water shield and sea bass are at their best, and the sorghum wine has a new fragrance. There is no better time to enjoy the ancient calligraphy and famous paintings with good friends in a sunny window, burn incense and appreciate them." This left a deep impression on readers.

Kangxi's Secret Visit (Kicked and Injured Master Lun While Seizing the Perch)

Chapter 12 of Volume 1 of Kangxi's Secret Visits:

Kangxi wrote in cursive: "I went to Songjiang yesterday and wanted to taste four-gilled perch, but was almost killed by Lun Shangzhi and his son. They are extremely greedy and exploit the people. I have ordered Yao Lin and others to kill them when they rescued me. This case can be closed and there is no need to pursue it. Send the people from Haibozhuang to return immediately. Inform Liu Yong and others not to blame Yao Lin's father. I will also travel to other places in the next few days. You should do your work as usual and don't need to come to see me to avoid spreading the news. I decree this."

Emperor Qianlong's Trip to the South of the Yangtze River (the origin of "the best fish in the south of the Yangtze River")

After eating the four-gilled perch, Emperor Qianlong was impressed by its deliciousness and fame, and named it "the best fish in Jiangnan". This became the most sensational "imperial" advertising slogan in the feudal era, and the value of Songjiang four-gilled perch increased a hundredfold.

In the Qing Dynasty, the influence of Songjiang four-gilled perch was even more far-reaching. Many emperors had to visit Songjiang Prefecture when they went to the south of the Yangtze River to taste the delicious perch and praised it highly. From then on, they ordered Songjiang officials to increase the number of four-gilled perch tribute each year to give priority to meeting the needs of the royal family and aristocrats.

Zeng Guofan was the only one who received the four-gilled perch

"Zeng Guofan Volume 3" records: Zeng Guofan went to Jiangnan to preside over the Jiangnan Provincial Examination of Jiazi, and Li Hongzhang, in order to please Zeng Guofan, said: "Tomorrow, my disciples will ask someone to send a few Songjiang four-gilled perch to the yamen, so that my teacher can see it with his own eyes." "Yes, send a few more tomorrow and ask all the teachers in the yamen to taste them." Zeng Guofan, who never accepted gifts, rarely had such a straightforward moment. "However, Li Zhongcheng, I heard that the delicious Songjiang four-gilled perch must rely on Sichuan ginger. Have you prepared Sichuan ginger?" Zhao Liewen challenged Li Hongzhang. "I don't understand this, I don't know if the chef has prepared it. If there is no Sichuan ginger, please forgive me, Huifu, and don't point it out in front of the two examiners!" Li Hongzhang's words caused laughter again.

Zhang Zhidong's wonderful couplet (The perch has four gills, and it occupies the entire Songjiang Prefecture)

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, during an official banquet, the prefect of Songjiang came up with a couplet to show off: "The sea bass has four gills, and it occupies the entire prefecture of Songjiang." When Zhang Zhidong, the governor-general of Liangjiang, heard this, he was very displeased. He thought that the small prefect of Songjiang was arrogant, so he used crabs as the theme and came up with a wonderful couplet: "The crab has eight legs, and it roams across the world." These two lines of poetry have been widely circulated.

Yu Sulu

In the sixth year of the Republic of China, the famous Kunqu Opera master Yu Sulu and his 17-year-old son Yu Zhenfei returned from Suzhou to Songjiang, their hometown, to trace their roots and pay respect to their ancestors. During the meal, they tasted the famous dish of their hometown, four-gilled perch. In the 19th year of the Republic of China, Yu Sulu passed away in Suzhou. Yu Zhenfei ordered people to go back to Songjiang to buy four-gilled perch and cook it as a sacrifice in front of his spirit. This was the hometown dish and hometown flavor that his father missed the most, and he expressed his grief.

President Nixon (diplomatic envoy)

In February 1972, US President Nixon visited China on an ice-breaking trip. During his stay in Shanghai, Premier Zhou Enlai personally approved the menu, which included Songjiang four-gilled perch as the most courteous hospitality, and was highly praised by Nixon. After returning from his visit to China, Nixon published an article praising the beauty of Chinese perch.

The picture shows Premier Zhou proudly introducing the deliciousness and culture of China's Songjiang four-gilled perch. While tasting the four-gilled perch, Nixon was deeply attracted by his words...

Kissinger (Rong Mansion Family Banquet)

On November 8, 1979, the international celebrity Kissinger came to China. Rong Yiren hosted a family dinner to welcome Kissinger. The main dish was a large casserole with four Songjiang four-gilled perch in it. All of them were served to the four foreign guests. After tasting it, Kissinger found it extremely fresh and tender, and exclaimed: "It tastes so good!"

Queen Elizabeth II

In 1986, Queen Elizabeth of England came to Shanghai and specifically asked for Songjiang perch. She forgot the name of the fish and asked for Nixon fish. The city government sent someone to Songjiang to allocate perch to entertain the British guests, but the Songjiang government was unable to provide perch. The city government sent more than 300 fishing boats out to fish, but nothing was caught. The Queen of England could only leave with endless regrets.

Chairman Li Xiannian's instructions

The British Queen did not eat the Songjiang four-gilled perch, and the government felt very embarrassed and damaged the country's image. Soon, this matter attracted great attention from relevant national departments, and President Li Xiannian made important instructions for the breeding and development of Songjiang four-gilled perch.

Mao Zedong-Gu Mu dispute (which fish is the most delicious)

As we all know, Mao Zedong loved to eat braised pork, but he was not very keen on eating fish. Once, when Gu Mu was reporting to him, he chatted with Chairman Mao: "Chairman, I think mandarin fish is the most delicious. It grew up eating live things. What fish do you think is the most delicious?" Chairman Mao replied: "In my opinion, Songjiang four-gilled perch should taste good. I often hear ancient people mention it in books. They all say it is delicious and does not have the earthy smell of river fish." After hearing this, Gu Mu immediately arranged for people to go to Songjiang, Shanghai to find Songjiang four-gilled perch and send it to Beijing. After tasting it, Chairman Mao praised it highly. It really did not have the earthy smell. From then on, every year when the perch matured, he would get some from Shanghai for the Chairman to taste.

Zhu Rongji (the last prime minister who ate fish)

As the environment changed, wild Songjiang perch became less and less common, and by the 1980s it was almost impossible to see them. According to the recollections of old comrades from the Songjiang fishery department, Zhu Rongji had the honor of tasting Songjiang perch during his tenure in Shanghai, and he was also the last national leader in the last century to eat Songjiang perch.

Two visits to the World Expo

On April 29, 1926, at the invitation of the National Government, Songjiang four-gilled perch was transported to Nanjing to participate in the Philadelphia World's Fair in the United States.

On May 3, 2010, the Songjiang four-gilled perch once again swam into the World Expo, and the party and state leaders used it to entertain guests.