It is said that Mrs. Song was originally a folk female chef in Bianjing (now Kaifeng, Henan Province) in the Northern Song Dynasty. She was famous in Bianjing for her skill in making fish soup. She was married to the fifth eldest son of the Song family and was dismissed. Everyone nicknamed her Sister-in-law Song. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Song Wusao's family moved south and continued to sell fish soup under the West Lake Su Di to make a living. One day, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty took a boat trip to the West Lake. The boat was moored under the Su Di. The old eunuch serving beside him heard someone selling fish with a Bianjing accent. After taking a few more glances, he recognized this person as Song Wusao who sold fish soup in his hometown.

When Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty heard this, he suddenly felt the feeling of meeting his old friend in a foreign land, so he summoned Sister-in-law Song to the boat to meet him, and ordered her to bring her famous fish soup as an offering; Emperor Gaozong enjoyed the fish soup while chatting with Sister-in-law Song. The two talked happily about their hometown affairs, and all the past memories came to mind, adding a sense of hometown feeling to this delicious bowl of fish soup! Emperor Gaozong then praised the fish soup very well and specially rewarded the fifth sister-in-law of Song with a hundred taels of money. As soon as this news spread, "Song's Sister-in-law Fish Soup" became famous throughout Hangzhou.

Another theory is that Song Wusao, a native of Bianliang in the Northern Song Dynasty, moved south to Lin'an (now Hangzhou) with the Song Dynasty family, and made a living by fishing in the West Lake with her uncle. One day, my uncle caught a bad cold, so Sister Song cooked a bowl of fish soup with fish, pepper, ginger, wine, vinegar and other condiments. The uncle soon recovered from his illness after drinking the delicious fish soup. Once, Zhao Gou, Emperor Gaozong of the Song Dynasty, tasted the fish soup she made and praised it greatly. From then on, this dish was called "Songsao Fish Soup", and the business of her shop became more prosperous.

Modern poet and writer Yu Pingbo pointed out in "A Brief Talk on Food in Hangzhou and Beijing": "The beauty of West Lake Fish Soup has been spread by word of mouth for thousands of years."

Song's Sister-in-law Fish Soup The ingredients are carefully selected, and only mandarin fish or seabass are used as the main ingredients. When cooking, the fish is steamed and the skin and bones are removed to ensure the color of the fish. After making it, the fish soup will be pleasant in color, tender and smooth, and taste like crab soup.

Mandarin fish, also known as mandarin fish, contains protein, fat, calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium and other nutrients. The meat is tender and easy to digest. It is suitable for children, the elderly and people with poor digestive function; mandarin fish Fish meat is not high in calories and is rich in antioxidants. It is also an excellent choice for women who want to beautify but are afraid of gaining weight.

Perch is rich in protein, vitamin A, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium and other nutrients; it has the effects of nourishing the liver and kidneys, benefiting the spleen and stomach, resolving phlegm and relieving coughs, and is suitable for people with insufficient liver and kidneys. It has a very good tonic effect. The meat of seabass is white and tender, with no fishy smell. The meat is garlic-shaped and is best steamed, braised or stewed. ?

Ham contains protein, fat, amino acids, vitamins and other nutrients. It is bright in color, lean meat is salty and sweet, and fat meat is fragrant but not greasy. It is delicious and has the functions of nourishing the stomach, promoting body fluids, nourishing the kidneys and strengthening yang. , strengthen bone marrow, strengthen feet, heal wounds and other functions. ?

Bamboo shoots are sweet and slightly cold in nature and have the effects of clearing away heat and eliminating phlegm, relieving stomach pain, quenching thirst and replenishing qi. Bamboo shoots also contain a lot of fiber, which not only promotes intestinal peristalsis, removes food accumulation, and prevents constipation, but is also a good food for obese people to lose weight.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia--Song’s Fish Soup