China's Top Fish-Loving Province: A Year-Round Feast of Endless Culinary Delights

Breaking news! The South China Sea fishing ban will be lifted at 12 noon tomorrow. Are all fish lovers ready?

Fish, the most familiar high-quality protein on Chinese dining tables, can dominate festive meals across the country with its tender, delicate flavor and auspicious symbolism of "abundance year after year" through simple home cooking methods like steaming, braising, or stewing. Regional variations in fish species and cooking techniques abound, but the undisputed champion of perfecting both freshwater and saltwater fish is—

With rivers and seas at its doorstep, coupled with Cantonese people's innate love and talent for food, the possibilities of fish cuisine here are endless. From meticulous segmentation—skin, belly, head, tail, bones, fat, swim bladder, roe—to diverse preparations: raw, steamed, fried, boiled, cold-tossed, hot pot, or even "fish unseen" dishes like fish noodles, fish curd, and fish balls. Every part of the fish is honored with its ideal preparation.

Connoisseurs of aquatic delicacies must not miss this "universe of creative fish cuisine."

The Pearl River Delta, formed by alluvial deposits from the West and North Rivers and bordered by the South China Sea, boasts dense waterways. Abundant water resources enabled freshwater fish farming as early as the Tang Dynasty, establishing a long-standing tradition.

To witness the pinnacle of freshwater fish culinary artistry in Lingnan, your first stop must be Shunde in the Pearl River system.

"Guangzhou for dining, Fengcheng (Shunde) for chefs." In this culinary capital where everyone cooks, fish tops the "five treasures" (fish, rice, dairy, poultry, flowers). Centuries of mulberry-dyke-fish-pond culture shaped Shunde's expertise in pond-fresh cuisine, refining humble ingredients into over 100 preparations—none more iconic than yusheng (raw fish).

In Shunde, a fish's highest honor is becoming yusheng.

This culinary "living fossil" predates even the name "Shunde." When 2,000-year-old raw-eating traditions of ancient Yue and Dan peoples met today's "Guangdong's best cooks," simple raw fish evolved into dazzling culinary theater.

Fresh pond fish, swiftly bled via tail incision (the fish swims vigorously to purge blood), yield translucent flesh. Every tiny bone is removed—Shunde loves fish but hates bones. Master chefs slice the flesh into paper-thin (under 0.5mm) sheets, arranged like petals. Simply dressed with salt and peanut oil, this is classic Shunde yusheng celebrating pure flavor.

Modern iterations feature vibrant condiments: shredded onion, ginger, radish, pickles, chili, peanuts, basil, cilantro. Diners mix these with fish while chanting auspicious phrases like "lo hei, lo hei" (toss for prosperity), creating a crunchy, silky, sweet ritual.

No part is wasted: collagen-rich skin becomes cold salad; red meat simmers into velvety congee; intestines fry with peppered eggs; bones crisp-fry with salt and pepper.

Nearby Nanhai's Jiujiang serves "Whole Fish Banquets"—ten dishes and one soup showcasing six Cantonese techniques: steaming, stir-frying, slicing, blanching, baking, and stuffing.

Jiujiang, "China's Fry Capital," treats fish as banquet essential. Their signature stuffed dace involves deboning whole fish (skin intact), pounding the flesh with water chestnuts and mushrooms, then restuffing and pan-frying it—a textural marvel of bouncy, crunchy, umami layers.

Beyond Shunde-Nanhai: Zhaoqing's imperial-grade "Wen Hui carp"; Zhongshan's crunchy grass carp (hotpot favorite); Zhuhai's estuary-bred extra-flavorful sea bass—nearly every Delta locale boasts proud fish specialties.

While Delta freshwater fish showcase Cantonese refinement, eastern/western Guangdong's coastal areas celebrate oceanic brininess.

In Chaoshan, summer's freshest catch becomes "drunken" raw seafood—marinated live in spicy soy-garlic brine for chewy, briny intensity. Some versions par-cook for "tender-not-raw" sweetness.

Unlike shrimp/crab-centric raw marinades, Chaoshan's "fish rice" features whole saltwater fish boiled in brine, cooled on bamboo trays. Eaten with fermented bean paste, this humble dish achieves sublime "fresh-not-fishy" perfection.

Here, fish outnumbers rice in accessibility.

Yangjiang's boat-dwelling heritage demands ultimate freshness—ideally "evening catch" simply steamed. When fresh isn't possible, their "one-night crock" preserves fish in sea salt, locking in oceanic essence.

Also in western Guangdong, Zhanjiang, renowned nationwide for its oysters, is a "paradise for sea fish": the fragrant, tender, and firm-fleshed white pomfret; the delicious and gelatinous green wrasse; the delicate and soft grouper, hailed as "chicken of the sea"; the thick and satisfying Spanish mackerel with few bones; and the slender eel, perfect for soups or frying... Different seasons bring different catches, and Zhanjiang locals believe that as long as the fish is fresh, any cooking method will yield delicious results.

After covering the Pearl River Delta, eastern Guangdong, and western Guangdong, it seems both freshwater and saltwater fish have been mentioned. Does northern Guangdong have no place in the fish-eating scene?

Of course not. Despite its mountainous terrain and distance from the sea, northern Guangdong holds its own when it comes to fish. Beyond the variety of river delicacies from streams and rivers, the paddies here teem with plump and flavorful rice-flower fish. Raised in rice fields through a symbiotic farming system, these fish feed on rice blossoms, giving them tender flesh and a natural fragrance. After a day’s work, locals select medium-sized rice-flower fish, clean them, remove the innards, cut them into pieces, pan-fry until golden, then simmer into a milky-white broth—a familiar homely flavor.

In Meizhou, the only breakfast rival to salted noodles is fish head rice noodle soup. Half a fish head and tail are fried, then boiled into a rich, milky broth with white radish, shredded ginger, and celery before adding blanched rice noodles—a hearty, aromatic start to the day. For those wanting a "heavier" meal, options like fish meat, fish balls, fish intestines, or fish maw can be added, delivering fresh, satisfying flavors in the early morning.

Alongside light freshness, bold and spicy flavors also shine. In Shaoguan’s Nanxiong, braised yellow catfish is served in thick sauce, topped with scallions. The seemingly decorative fresh peppers pack a fiery punch, pairing with the tender fish to offer a rare spicy challenge in Cantonese cuisine.

Qingyuan’s "Eight Delicacies of the North River" feature six types of fish—bream, catfish, yellow catfish, eel, Chinese herring, and sharpbelly—alongside other treasures. Meanwhile, Heyuan’s Wanlv Lake, a water source for many, yields fish with exceptionally fresh, sweet, and delicate flesh under its pristine ecosystem. The annual fishing season becomes an unmissable local feast.

It seems impossible to count all the ways Guangdong people enjoy fish. But this is no surprise—on this fertile land that birthed Cantonese culinary classics, the pursuit of极致flavor and respect for food is deeply ingrained.

"2023 China Fishery Statistical Yearbook"

Southern Rural Daily: "Just How Bold Is China’s Top Aquatic Province?"

CCTV9 "A Bite of Shunde"