Special foods 丨豫式黄河鲤鱼

　　Yellow River Carp is not only a speciality of Henan Province, but also a famous “business card” of Kaifeng Youyixin Restaurant, Awu Yellow River Carp Restaurant, and Zhengzhou Yufengyuan Restaurant.

　　黄河鲤鱼是咱河南的一道招牌菜，也是开封又一新饭店、阿五黄河大鲤鱼、郑州裕丰源等饭店响当当的名片。每家饭店又都有自己对黄河鲤鱼的独到理解，正如独孤九剑一般，大剑无锋、大巧不工，无招胜有招世。

　　

 

　　Carp has always been revered as the "chief of all fishes" in China. The Northern Song Dynasty also served carp as the "best among all dishes." The carp in the Yellow River is called "Golden Carp of the Yellow River" for its uniqueness. According to the ancient documents, “The Yellow River carp in Henan Province is fresh, fat and tender, which can be seen as delicacies.” In Kaifeng and even the whole Central Plains, a well-known dish called “Braised Yellow River Carp Covered with Baked Noodles” once became the "best among all dishes."

　　鲤鱼在我国历来被尊为“诸鱼之长”。北宋更是奉鲤鱼为“食品上味”。黄河中的鲤鱼，因其独特之处，世称“金色黄河大鲤鱼”。古籍称：“豫省黄河之鲤，干鲜肥嫩可称珍品”。而开封乃至中原地区，更因一道举世闻名的“糖醋软熘鲤鱼”而一度成为“食品上味”。

　　

 

　　During the transition from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, a large number of residents followed the royal family to Hangzhou from Kaifeng, becoming “Zhejiang drifters” at that time. As the environment changes, so do the ingredients. The Yellow River carp is sweet while the West Lake carp's muddy flavor is heavier, so it was then changed to the grass fish. Southerners do not like sweet taste in fish, so it was changed again. With many changes, another famous dish was finally created, called West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy.

　　从北宋到南宋的更迭中，大批汴京的居民跟着皇室来到杭州，成为当时的“浙漂”，随着环境的变化，食材也有所不同，黄河鲤鱼甜，西湖鲤鱼的泥腥味较重，于是改为草鱼，不喜欢鱼中有甜味儿，那就再改，经过多次调整，后来又成就了一道名菜——西湖醋鱼。

　　

 

　　The cooking method that is more familiar to the people in Henan Province is called “braised carp with baked noodles.” The baked noodles is also called the fine noodles. The tender and delicious carp with red color, together with the fluffy and crispy baked noodles, does reflect the efforts that our ancestors in Henan Province have made concerning diet.

　　咱河南老百姓更熟悉的黄河鲤鱼做法则是“鲤鱼焙面”，焙面也称龙须面。色泽枣红，软嫩鲜香的鲤鱼再加上蓬松酥脆的焙面结合在一起，足可见咱们河南老祖宗在吃上下了一番真功夫。