Spring is the season with the highest fish yield, and as it approaches spawning season, the fish have accumulated a lot of fat and nutrients, making their bodies plump and firm.
When it comes to eating and preparing fish, you must first know how to select them. In spring, there is a wide variety of fish. Faced with lively and jumping fish, how do you choose? How can these fish be turned into delicious and fragrant delicacies?
Mandarin Fish — Strengthens the Spleen and Nourishes the Blood
For hundreds of years, mandarin fish has topped the list of "spring seasonal delicacies." This is because its meat is delicate and plump, with few bones and no gallbladder, making it the finest among freshwater fish in spring. The "Compendium of Materia Medica" records its meat as being able to "nourish weakness, strengthen the spleen and stomach, and replenish vital energy," making it suitable for people with weak constitutions and poor appetites. Modern nutrition shows that mandarin fish is rich in nutrients such as protein, fat, calcium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, etc. Its meat is delicate and easily digestible, making it suitable for children, the elderly, and those with poor digestion. Mandarin fish is also low in calories and rich in antioxidants, making it an excellent choice for women who want to beautify themselves but are afraid of gaining weight.
Steamed Sea Bass
Sea Bass — Nourishes the Liver and Kidneys
The Northern Song Dynasty pharmacological work "Jiayu Bencao" records that sea bass can "nourish the five organs, strengthen muscles and bones, harmonize the stomach and intestines, and treat edema." This shows how widespread its nourishing effects are. From a modern nutritional perspective, sea bass is rich in nutrients such as protein, vitamins A and B, calcium, magnesium, zinc, selenium, etc. It has the effect of nourishing the liver and kidneys, benefiting the spleen and stomach, and resolving phlegm and relieving cough, making it very beneficial for people with insufficient liver and kidney function. Sea bass meat is white and tender, without a fishy smell, and has a garlic clove-like texture, making it most suitable for steaming, braising in soy sauce, or stewing in soup.
Grass Carp — Warms the Stomach and Brightens the Eyes
Grass carp is a type of freshwater fish that is affordable and of good quality. It is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which is beneficial for blood circulation and very suitable for people with cardiovascular diseases.
In addition, grass carp is also rich in selenium, which has anti-aging and beautifying effects. For people who are thin and have a poor appetite, grass carp meat is tender but not greasy, whets the appetite, and is nourishing. The Qing Dynasty medical text "Yi Lin Zuan Yao" records that grass carp "is especially good when the head is steamed and eaten." Readers might also try the method of steaming and eating the grass carp head.
Vacuate herring