Huizhou (southern Anhui) — developed as a fish preservation technique for inland traders
Chou gui yu: Anhui's most famous (and notorious) dish. Fresh mandarin fish slightly fermented for 6–7 days at room temperature until mildly pungent, then red-braised or steamed. The controlled fermentation creates a distinctive creamy texture and complex flavour unlike fresh fish. Different from spoilage — it is intentional transformation.
Intense, rich, slightly funky, deeply savoury — one of China's most polarising yet celebrated regional dishes
{"Fermentation must be controlled — salt applied before fermentation","6–7 days at cool room temperature (15–20°C) is optimal","The smell is alarming but the cooked dish is far milder","Red braise with soy, Shaoxing wine, ginger, and sugar"}
{"The slight fermentation imparts umami depth and creamy texture impossible to achieve with fresh fish","The dish is most famous in Huizhou (southern Anhui) — a Silk Road trade route food preservation technique","Often served with rice wine from the same region"}
{"Too warm during fermentation — produces spoilage rather than desirable fermentation","Too long — fish loses structural integrity","Being deterred by the smell before tasting — the cooked dish is very different"}
Land of Fish and Rice — Fuchsia Dunlop