Ancient literati have praised Wuchang fish in their works, giving it a mysterious and irresistible aura. The story of this city and this fish traces back to the Three Kingdoms period more than 1,700 years ago. In 221,Sun Quan, King of Wu, built his captial in Wuchang (now Ezhou),and moved 1,000 families into what is today's Hubei Province from Jianye(today's Nanjing City).There was a ballad popular at that time,containing the words,“I would rather drink the Jianye water than eat the Wuchang fish.”In 1956,Mao Zedong, the great man of New China, however,wrote a famous line,"I have just drunk the water of Changsha, and now come to eat the Wuchang fish. " This created the fame of the city and the fish.
In recent years, Ezhou has committed itself to building the Wuchang Fish brand by promoting the industrialization of aquaculture. With the Wuchang Fish brand to lead aquaculture ,Ezhou is speeding towards being a leading city for aquatic products.
The fish drives Ezhou aquatic economy
Wuchang Fish ,also known by its scientific name of megalobrama amblycephala, is the only nationally-identified native fish in Ezhou. Known as "Fankou bream" in ancient times, Wuchang fish originated from the Fankou area of the Liangzi Lake system in Ezhou. It has taken over 30 years of great effort for the aquatic economy of Ezhou to be built up around the Wuchang fish.
Since the Ezhou Wuchang Fish Research Institute was established with the approval of the Ezhou municipal government in 1985, Ezhou has established three Wuchang Fish stock seed and breeding farms. In 1994,a Hubei Ezhou Megalobrama Amblycephala(Wuchang Fish ) Germplasm Resource Conservation Area was founded near Liangzi Lake to improve the Wuchang fish's breeding technology and economic effectiveness.
Since 1996,after changing the brand name to Wuchang Fish ,the processed aquatic products have increased from six varieties ,such as fish sausage and frozen food, to more than 20. The output value of processed aquatic product is RMB 326 million, accounting for 25.9 percent of Ezhou's total fishery output.
In August 2000,Hubei Wuchang Fish Co. ,Ltd., the first agricultural enterprise in Ezhou, was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. It was the only listed company named after a famous freshwater fish in China.
Ezhou vigorously implements strategies associated with the aquaculture brand, promoting its famous Wuchang fish . In 2017,the total output of aquatic products in Ezhou was 448,900 tons, with a total output value of RMB 8.03 billion, 9.6 percent higher than the same period in 2016.
The fish drives Ezhou tourism industry
Ezhou fully explores the cultural heritage of the Wuchang fish and promotes it vigorously .The holding of the Wuchang Fish International Cultural Tourism Festival and Liangzi Lake Fishing and Tourism Festival not only passes on a type of cultural heritage ,but also entices a large number of business people to invest in Ezhou.
The Wuchang Fish international Cultural Tourism Festival ,an annual event in Ezhou, is a 10-day activity
held from Sep.24 to Oct.7 every year. Since 2001, this event has been very well-received.
In 2006, the "Wuchang Fish Ezhou" trademark was successfully registered at the State Trademark Bureau. The certificate for the original trademark was formally approved and registered by the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce of the PRC. It is the first certificate for the original trademark for freshwater fish in China. In the same year, a Wuchang fish website was successfully registered by Ezhou, ensuring Wuchang fish a double protection.
Three ways of cooking Wuchang fish
Wuchang fish has a blunt nose, a thicback, and white scales. It has a diamond shape on both sides, a wide mouth, short dorsal fins and a high tail. It also has 14 ribs on each side,one more than other breams, and has no black membrane in its abdomen. Its meat is fresh, tender and extraordinarily delicious.
When he tasted the Wuchang fish, caught at Fankou,Mao Zedong was pleased to write a poem which praised the fish. But what makes Wuchang fish so delicious is how it's cooked.There are
Threre are three ways to cook Wuchang fish: steamed, braised, and dried and salted.
Steamed Wuchang fish
It is the classic and most common way of cooking the fish.It helps to maintain its freshness and tenderness. It is the best way to enjoy the original taste with minimal seasoning.
Braised Wuchang fish
It is achieved by braising the fish with dark soy sauce in a cooking pot and adding onion,ginger, garlic and red peppers. The color of this dish is golden with fine and tender meat which is soft and delicious.
Dried and salted Wuchang fish
It has a crispy skin and fine meat.Though not as fresh or tender as the fresh fish, it is chewy with a different flavor. By adding some soy sauce and chives when cooking it, the flavor improves, and is said to eliminate the symptoms of common cold.