Ya fish is an important edible fish in the Zhougong River in Ya'an. Its scientific name is Qi orogastric schizophrenia, also known as Jia fish. It was called Bing cave fish in ancient times. It has the characteristics of more meat, less thorns and tender texture. It is the best raw material for cooking fish in central Sichuan.

Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote in his poem: "The fish knows the origin and beauty of the Bing point, and the wine remembers the Pi tube without intoxication." He praised the beauty of the elegant fish. There is a Yayu restaurant in Ya'an City, Sichuan. Ya'an's historical food customs pay attention to nutrition, pay attention to health, and like original juice and strong flavor, so they cook dishes in clay pots. All the casseroles used are baked with Rongjing County "Baishan Clay". Use this casserole to prepare elegant fish, which is delicious and good at keeping heat.

"Casserole Yayu" is salty and umami-flavored, and is often served as the last act of a banquet. In recent years, the first dish of the feast has been offered to the diners. After sitting down, the casserole is still boiling, the fragrance is overflowing, the fish is tender, the soup is fresh, and the food is rich in nutrients, making the eater have a lifelong nostalgia for Yucheng Ya'an that is unforgettable.

Wild Ya fish mostly grow in the Zhougong River, a tributary of the Qingyi River, where the water quality is clear, the flow is abundant, and the temperature is suitable. However, in recent years, with the development of cascade hydropower, the ecological environment of Zhougong River has changed, and the number of wild fish has declined rapidly. Fortunately, with the efforts of the local Sichuan Agricultural University and breeding institutions, the technology of artificial breeding of Ya fish was successful in 2000. Nowadays, most of the fish on the market are artificially cultured, and the rare wild fish are about 2/3 more expensive.

For a long time, Yayu casserole has been the most traditional way of making Yayu. The casserole for making Yayu comes from Yingjing County under the jurisdiction of Ya'an City. Yingjing casserole has a firing history of more than 2,000 years. Yingjing black sand hand-making skills were included in the national intangible cultural heritage in 2008. When cooking the casserole fish, put the stock made from elbows, native chicken, stick bones, etc. into the casserole and bring it to a boil. Fry the fish in oil until the skin on both sides is rolled up. Then put the fish into the casserole. Then add bamboo shoots, bamboo fungus, native chicken, pork belly, tofu and other accessories and bring to a boil. In this process, there are three main factors that determine the quality. One is the quality of the stock, the other is the appropriate proportion of fish and accessories, and the third is the cooking temperature. Generally, it depends on the size of the fish and the amount of accessories. to 10 minutes.

In recent years, Yayu dishes have been constantly innovated, combined with some practices of new Sichuan cuisine. In 2005, the third Sichuan Province Tourism Development Conference was held in Ya'an. During the meeting, a chef created the Yayu Full Banquet for the first time, and the 18 dishes became a sensation. Today, the Yayu dinner has grown to 20 dishes, 14 of which use Yayu as the main ingredient. Such as: ya fish sashimi, five-spice smoked ya fish, strange fish steak, three-color ya fish skin, clay pot ya fish pot, dry roasted ya fish, etc.