Crucian carp, a fish species that everyone is familiar with now. When you are often exposed to historical time, you will find that crucian carp has a very high probability of appearing in many royal dishes and court dishes. The well-known "sweet and sour carp" in Anhui cuisine, with the yellow river crucian carp as the common ingredient, tastes sweet and delicious, brown and tender, not only delicious, but also comprehensive in nutrition, which is deeply loved by the royal family.
In the Qing Dynasty, "Fish Sacrifice at the East Palace Gate" was the favorite dish of Emperor Kangxi, and it was served beautifully. Legend has it that Emperor Kangxi went south to patrol the streets and observed the people's feelings. In Longmen County, the local chef made a dish with crucian carp and gave it to Emperor Kangxi. Because the head and body of the whole fish with chopped peppers are placed on both sides of the dish, with white shrimp in the middle, it presents a two-color and two-flavor appearance. Emperor Kangxi was very happy and personally wrote the name of "Offering Fish at the East Palace Gate", which became a special food of the imperial cuisine.
It stands to reason that crucian carp, as a favorite fish species of ancient royal nobles, should have a very good attitude towards crucian carp today, despite the money in his pocket. However, if you look at the special food in China, you will find that the status of crucian carp is not as good as it used to be. Even in the south, the price of crucian carp is as cheap as a few yuan a catty, and no one wants to buy it. Only in North China, crucian carp still has a certain sales market. Why don't diners appreciate crucian carp now?
Crucian carp, the price is very cheap now. Mainly because crucian carp can be raised in large quantities and the breeding technology is perfect. The vitality of crucian carp is tenacious, which also makes the storage of crucian carp need not spend too much thought, so when there is no shortage of ingredients, the price of crucian carp is very cheap. In many counties, the price of crucian carp can even be reduced to two or three yuan a catty.
Although the price is low, the fishy smell of crucian carp is unacceptable to many northerners. Crucian carp has many thorns, which also makes many friends who are not easy to eat fish feel headache. If there is a lack of food, then crucian carp can still be eaten, but what is the best choice for everyone now? You can choose fish species with more fish and fewer fishbones. There is no market for crucian carp. No one wants to spend money to buy a pile of fish bones to eat at home.
Even people who are good at eating fish have to put up with the smell of crucian carp when they meet it. Carp is a kind of fish, and the most common one is the Yellow River crucian carp. Crucian carp, which lives in fine sand on weekdays, has a very strong fishy smell, which makes the food of crucian carp inevitably supported by onions and garlic. Even the cooking methods are stewing, frying and adding sugar, which is not in line with the diet structure of northerners.
So in the south, you will find that there is basically no sales market for crucian carp. What's more, the southern region is rich in products and resources. Not only are there many kinds of fish and delicious, but also marine fish will share a piece of the action. Where will crucian carp come from? Therefore, crucian carp was expensive and delicious to the royal family in ancient times. Now everyone can afford it, but it is not very popular with everyone.