Like other northern cities, hairtail is the most popular because of its thick meat and few spines, especially the fishbones are arranged neatly and have no peculiar smell. Common practices include stewing, steaming, frying, steaming and braising, as well as dry pots, hot pots and a variety of western and Japanese dishes. Fish is easy to digest and is a common recipe in Xian Yi.

There are two kinds of yellow croaker: large yellow croaker and small yellow croaker. Large yellow croaker is the most commonly used in restaurants. Marine fish die without water, unlike fish in rivers and lakes that can be eaten alive, so marine fish should be fresh. There are many ways to make yellow croaker, such as sweet and sour fish, sharp-drilled fish, dry fried fish, vinegar-dipped fish, pine nut fish (that is, squirrel yellow croaker), stewed fish soup, fried fake crab meat, fried fish, braised fish, yellow croaker with drum sauce, pepper and hemp fish, etc. The yellow croaker cooked at home is mainly stewed. Yellow croaker, like garlic cloves, is crisp and tender, and tastes better than freshwater fish. It is also a kind of enjoyment to cook yellow croaker with garlic in the bright season when flowers are full of green.