Eating fish also depends on the season. Professor Wang Cunxin, a fish expert at the Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, suggests that fish nearing their spawning period, such as yellow croaker, are the top choice for summer. It is currently the spawning season for large yellow croaker, small yellow croaker, mackerel, Spanish mackerel, salmon, and turbot, making these the most suitable fish to eat in the summer. Professor Wang explains that different fish have different spawning seasons distributed throughout the year. When fish are nearing their spawning period, they accumulate a lot of fat and nutrients in their bodies, making them plump and firm. Consequently, their meat is most delicious and has a sweet and savory taste. This is because the content of umami substances, specifically glutamic acid, increases. After the spawning period, fish become very lean, and their nutritional content, such as protein and fat, is not as high as before spawning.
He says that among the fish suitable for summer consumption, yellow croaker is rich in nutrition. Fresh yellow croaker meat is high in protein and inorganic salts such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, and iodine. Moreover, the fish's flesh is soft and easy to digest and absorb. Due to its garlic-clove-shaped structure and absence of small bones, yellow croaker is most suitable for the elderly, children, and those who are ill or weak. In addition to these marine fish in their spawning season, most freshwater fish can be eaten in the summer.
Yang Li suggests that people are prone to feeling "hot and dry" in the summer. For cooking methods, it is advisable to opt for steaming and stewing. For ingredient selection, one might eat more "cold-natured" fish like soft-shelled turtle and cuttlefish. For those with a weak digestive system who are sensitive to cold, adding scallions, ginger, chili, and garlic during cooking can help. For "warm-natured" fish, they can be paired with "cold-natured" foods and use less chili. For example, when cooking grass carp or catfish, one can add tofu, white radish, bamboo shoots, mushrooms, or winter melon to stew. Eel can be stir-fried with cabbage stalks, and adding a little vinegar at the end can effectively reduce internal heat.