In the Ming and Qing Dynasties, pay tribute to Beijing Jiangnan shad ("May shad has arrived in Yan, litchi, reeds and oranges should not arrive first. Brother Zhong Guan, who is recommended to have a temple banquet for fresh food? During the day, the wind and sand rush along the post road, and on hot days, the ice and snow protect the river boat. Silver scales and fine bones can pity you, and jade chopsticks and gold plates dare to disperse. " -He Dafu's poem in Ming Dynasty) shad is a more delicate and troublesome tribute than litchi.

Just to satisfy the emperor's desire for early adopters, he drove the shad in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River to Kyoto, far away at the foot of Yanshan Mountain. After all, it was an era without cars, trains and planes.

When eating in Nantong, I often hear people talk about the four great delicacies of the Yangtze River. The puffer fish is the first species, followed by swordfish, shad and mandarin fish. According to the Jianghai Association, Nantong's choice of the four seasons in the Yangtze River should be exactly the four seasons in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, or the four seasons in the Yangtze River. They are all varieties that come and go between rivers and seas, where fresh water and salt water meet, and they are hard to eat in other places. Because of this, it has more regional characteristics.