West Lake Vinegar Fish (西湖醋鱼 Xi Hu Cu Yu) — Hangzhou's Signature
Hangzhou
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The working recipe — the Market List, the Method, and where it lives or dies
I
Origin
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II
Description
Xi hu cu yu (西湖醋鱼, West Lake vinegar fish) is the signature dish of Hangzhou and one of the most famous preparations in Zhejiang cuisine — a fresh grass carp (cao yu, 草鱼) poached in a light broth or water, then topped with a sweet-sour Chinkiang vinegar sauce. The legend behind the dish involves a widow and her fisherman brother-in-law who fell on hard times — the woman seasoned the fish with vinegar and sugar to cover the slightly musty taste of river fish. The dish is deliberately simple: the fish must be of impeccable freshness, and the sauce must balance the sweetness and sourness precisely.
III
The Thread
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IV
Flavour Context
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Pillars V — VII
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