Sweet and sour mandarin fish is a traditional dish of Han nationality in Suzhou, Jiangsu. Just like its name, fried fish is like a squirrel. It is listed as the top grade in banquets all over the south of the Yangtze River and enjoys a long-standing reputation at home and abroad.

Historical origin of sweet and sour mandarin fish

Sweet and sour mandarin fish is a traditional dish in Suzhou, which is listed as the top delicacy in banquets all over the south of the Yangtze River. It is said that as early as when Emperor Qianlong went down to the south of the Yangtze River, there was a kind of "squirrel carp" in Suzhou, which Qianlong once tasted. Later it developed into "Squirrel Mandarin Fish".

There is a record about "Squirrel Fish" in Tiaodingji in Qing Dynasty: "Take seasonal fish, remove bones, drag egg yolk, fry it yellow, and make it squirrel fish style. Oil and soy sauce are burnt. " Seasonal fish should be seasonal flower fish, that is, mandarin fish. This record indirectly proves that Suzhou may have the legend of "squirrel carp" during the Qianlong period. Because many dishes in the "Tiaoding Ji" were made by Qianlong Jiaqing in the Qing Dynasty. Secondly, it can be explained that today's sweet and sour mandarin fish is developed on the basis of squirrel fish. The difference is that the ancient "squirrel fish" hung egg yolk paste, but today's "squirrel fish" is dried starch. The ancient "squirrel fish" was fried with "oil and soy sauce", but today, the marinade is fried and poured directly on it. In addition, today's "squirrel fish" is more realistic in shape and delicious in taste, which is incomparable to the ancient "squirrel fish".