User:Wei Fangxin
Final Paper
Jingzhou Fish Cake
Introduction
In the culinary landscape of Jingchu (the ancient name for the Hubei region), Jingzhou Fish Cake is undoubtedly a bright pearl. Fish Cake is the most distinctive way to prepare fish. It resembles a cake in shape, yet its taste is extremely different. As a National Geographical Indication Product and a provincial-level Intangible Cultural Heritage item, it has conquered the taste buds of countless diners with its exquisite texture of "enjoying fish without seeing its form". Furthermore, with its profound folk status of "no banquet is complete without the Fish Cake", it has integrated into the daily life of local people, becoming a core symbol carrying the essence of Jingchu culinary culture. This delicacy, precipitated over thousands of years, is not only a perfect integration of ingredients and craftsmanship but also a vivid carrier of regional culture and historical memories. In 2009, the production technique of Jingzhou Fish Cake was successfully included in the second batch of the Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Representative Projects List of Hubei Province, marking the official recognition of its intangible cultural heritage value. In 2013, it also obtained the National Geographical Indication Product Protection Certification, further establishing its unique position in the national culinary culture and allowing this Jingchu flavor to go beyond the region and be known and loved by more people.
Historical Origin
Jingzhou, located in the hinterland of the Jianghan Plain, where the Yangtze River and the Han River converge, is covered with dense rivers and lakes, and has long been renowned as a "land of fish and rice". The advantageous natural environment has nurtured abundant aquatic resources and developed fish-centered culinary wisdom. Here, fish is not only a common ingredient on the dining table but also integrated into the blood of regional culture. The birth and development of Jingzhou Fish Cake is the concentrated embodiment of this culinary wisdom.
A mythical legend has been passed down regarding the origin of Jingzhou Fish Cake. It is said that it has been created by Eying, the concubine of Emperor Shun, and widely popularized across the Jingchu region. According to verifiable historical records, it became the premier dish of the Chu royal court during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, and remained a royal delicacy even in the Qing Dynasty. It is said that after tasting Jingzhou Fish Cake, Emperor Qianlong blurted out in praise: "Tasting fish without seeing its flesh, what a delightful cake as fine as lily!" From the Chu Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, Jingzhou Fish Cake endured through 17 dynasties in China and a history of more than 4,000 years. It has always held an important position in the realm of culinary culture, gradually evolving from an imperial delicacy into a folk food, and ranking as one of the most representative flavors of the Jingchu land.
Craftsmanship
The selection of ingredients is the foundation of making Fish Cake, and also the key factor that determines its quality. The preferred raw materials for Jingzhou Fish Cake are fresh grass carps or black carps weighing 7 to 8 jin, caught from the Yangtze River basin. These two types of fish are the top choice for their unique meat quality: large-sized grass carps and black carps have firm and plump flesh with moderate moisture content, almost no earthy taste, and are rich in collagen. After processing, their flesh can yield a delicate and springy texture.
Besides the main ingredient of fish meat, the selection of supplementary ingredients is equally meticulous. To render the Fish Cake’s texture more moist and mellow, and avoid a dry taste, makers add an appropriate amount of lard or diced fatty pork. The mild richness of lard blends with the fresh fragrance of fish meat, enriching the Fish Cake’s flavor and enhancing its moistness. Egg white is also an indispensable ingredient; it boasts strong water retention and adhesive properties, which firmly bind the fish paste together, making the Fish Cake compact and less likely to crumble after shaping. In addition, proper amounts of starch, ginger, scallions and salt are added as seasonings. Starch further improves the Fish Cake’s shaping effect, while ginger and scallions effectively neutralize the fishy taste and heighten the overall fresh aroma of the dish.
Once all ingredients are prepared, the most crucial step in making Fish Cake begins — beating the fish paste. All the prepared ingredients are fully mixed and beaten continuously in one single direction until the fish paste becomes thick, cohesive, fluffy and elastic. Beating by hand not only prevents the fish flesh from being damaged by the high temperature of mechanical mixers, but also allows makers to precisely gauge the perfect consistency purely by touch. After the fish paste is well beaten, it is ready for steaming. The paste is placed into a steamer and fully cooked; under the effect of high temperature, the oil melts, making the Fish Cake increasingly soft and tender. Forty minutes later, a layer of golden egg liquid is brushed over its surface, and the Fish Cake is steamed again. Through this process, the fish flesh is completely transformed, and the Fish Cake is finished. The final product is bright white in color, smooth in texture and elastic in taste, achieving the culinary wonder of "eating fish without tasting its fibrous form".
Folk Culture
Jingzhou Fish Cake is a representative of Jingchu culinary culture. It embodies the culinary wisdom of "eating fish without seeing its flesh", integrates the ingredients and etiquette culture of the Chu region, and has become a hallmark of Jingchu delicacies. In Jingzhou, Jingzhou Fish Cake has long transcended the simple category of delicacy and integrated itself into the local folk culture, becoming an important carrier for people to express their emotions and convey blessings. With the development of the times, the craftsmanship of making Jingzhou Fish Cake has been constantly innovated, and its form has become increasingly exquisite. Nowadays, local people often match it with other ingredients when making Fish Cake to create a richer variety of dishes: Fish Cake is made from fish meat and fatty pork, and round meatballs are prepared with pork and Chinese yam. The meatballs are laid at the bottom of a bowl, the Fish Cake placed in the middle, and finally the top is covered with stir-fried pork tripe slices, kidney slices, agaric and shiitake mushrooms. This dish is a colorful and nutrient-rich "assorted meatballs", also known as Huagao by local people. This improved Fish Cake dish not only has a richer flavor, but also has become an indispensable first course at wedding feasts, funerals and all other ceremonial banquets in Jingzhou. Jingzhou Fish Cake has gone beyond a mere dietary habit and gradually accumulated into a distinctive local folk culture. Fish Cake is a homophone for Yu Gao in Chinese, implying the auspicious wish of "having surplus year after year and making steady progress step by step". For thousands of years in Jingzhou, Fish Cake has always been a must-have grand dish to entertain guests on festivals, weddings, funerals and joyous banquets, hence the local saying: "No banquet is complete without wine, and no feast is perfect without Fish Cake".
References
[1] Jingzhou Municipal Bureau of Commerce. Chuwei Jingzhou [Chu Cuisine of Jingzhou] [M]. Wuhan: Hubei Science and Technology Press, 2020.
[2] Zhang, W. P. Essence of Jingchu Culinary Culture [M]. Wuhan: Hubei People's Publishing House, 2021.
[3] Foreign Affairs Office of Hubei Provincial People's Government. Jingzhou Tourism 2018: Local Food of Jingzhou (EB/OL). (2015-07-09)[2025-12-29]. http://en.hubei.gov.cn/tourism_2018/cities_2018/jingzhou_tourism2018/food_jinghzou/201507/t20150709_1413875.shtml?show_loading=0&webview_progress_bar=1&push_animated=1&theme=light.
[4] Baidu Encyclopedia. Jingzhou Fish Cake (EB/OL). (Last updated: 2025-06-11)[Accessed: 2025-12-29]. https://baike.baidu.com/item/荆州鱼糕.
Terms
荆州鱼糕 Jingzhou Fish Cake
省级非物质文化遗产 Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage
国家地理标志产品 National Geographical Indication Product
鱼米之乡 a land of fish and rice
宫廷名菜 royal court dish
鱼糜fish paste
宴席头菜signature banquet first course
杂烩丸子assorted meatballs
Questions
1. What is the key reason why Jingzhou Fish Cake is known as the core symbol of Jingchu food culture?
2. What are the innate conditions for Jingzhou to be rich in Fish Cake?
3. What is the homophonic sound of Jingzhou Fish Cake, and what auspicious implication does it have?
4. Who is Jingzhou Fish Cake said to be created by, and in which period was it a royal court dish in history?
5. What is the preferred raw material for making Jingzhou Fish Cake?
6. What are the key requirements for manually stirring the fish paste?
Answers
1. It is because of its exquisite taste of eating fish without seeing the fish itself and its folk status of no banquet is complete without Fish Cake.
2. It is located in the Jianghan Plain with dense rivers and lakes, being a land of fish and rice, and has been abundant in fish since ancient times.
3. It is a homophone for "Yu gao", implying having surplus year after year and making steady progress step by step.
4. It is said to be created by Eying, the concubine of Emperor Shun; it was a royal court dish from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods to the Qing Dynasty.
5. The preferred raw materials are fresh 7-8 jin grass carps and black carps from the Yangtze River Basin.
6. It is required to stir in one single direction until the fish paste becomes thick and cohesive, fluffy and elastic.
期末论文
荆州鱼糕
简介
在荆楚大地的美食中，荆州鱼糕无疑是一颗璀璨的明珠。鱼糕是鱼肉最特别的一种吃法，形似蛋糕，但味道却天差地别。作为国家地理标志产品与省级非物质文化遗产，它以“食鱼不见鱼”的精妙口感征服了无数食客的味蕾，更以“无糕不成席”的深厚民俗地位融入当地人的日常生活，成为承载荆楚饮食文化精髓的核心符号。这份历经千年沉淀的美味，不仅是食材与技艺的完美融合，更是地域文化与历史记忆的生动载体。2009年，荆州鱼糕制作技艺成功入选湖北省第二批省级非物质文化遗产代表性项目名录，标志着其非遗价值得到官方认可；2013年，它又获得了国家地理标志产品保护认证，进一步确立了其在全国饮食文化中的独特地位，让这份荆楚风味走出地域，被更多人熟知与喜爱。
历史溯源
荆州，地处江汉平原腹地，长江与汉江在此交汇，境内河湖密布、水网纵横，素有“鱼米之乡”的美誉。得天独厚的自然环境，孕育了丰富的水产资源，也催生了以鱼为核心的饮食智慧。在这里，鱼不仅是餐桌上的常见食材，更融入了地域文化的血脉，而荆州鱼糕的诞生与发展，正是这份饮食智慧的集中体现。 关于荆州鱼糕的起源，流传着一段颇具神话色彩的传说。鱼糕相传为舜帝妃子女英所创，在荆楚一带广为流传。根据有据可考的历史显示，春秋战国时开始成为楚宫廷头道菜，直到清朝，仍是一道宫廷菜。据说乾隆尝过荆州花糕后脱口而称赞道：“食鱼不见鱼，可人百合糕”。 从楚到清，荆州鱼糕历经中国17个朝代，跨越4000多年的时光，始终在饮食文化的舞台上占据重要地位，从宫廷御膳逐渐走向民间，成为荆楚大地最具代表性的风味之一。
制作技艺
食材的选择是制作鱼糕的基础，也是决定鱼糕品质的关键。荆州鱼糕的原材料首选长江流域出产的7-8斤鲜活草鱼或青鱼。这两种鱼之所以成为首选，原因在于其独特的肉质特点：体型较大的草鱼和青鱼，肉质紧实饱满，含水量适中，且几乎没有土腥味，同时富含胶原蛋白，经过加工后能形成细腻弹牙的口感。 除了主料鱼肉，配料的选择也同样讲究。为了让鱼糕的口感更加温润醇厚，避免出现干柴的情况，制作者会加入适量的猪油或肥肉丁。猪油的温润与鱼肉的鲜香相互融合，能让鱼糕的风味更加浓郁，同时增加鱼糕的滋润度。鸡蛋清也是不可或缺的配料之一，它具有极强的持水性和粘合性，能将鱼肉糜牢牢粘合在一起，让鱼糕成型后更加紧实，不易松散。此外，还需加入适量的淀粉、生姜、葱、盐等调料，淀粉能进一步提升鱼糕的成型效果，生姜和葱则能有效去除鱼肉的腥味，提升整体的鲜香度。 配料准备就绪后，便进入了制作鱼糕最关键的环节——鱼糜的搅打。将所有准备就绪的材料充分混合顺着一个方向搅打，直至鱼糜粘稠上劲，蓬松有弹性为止。手工搅拌，不仅是为了避免机器高温损伤肉质，更是凭着手感，精准拿捏着那份恰到好处的粘稠度。鱼糜搅打完成后，便可以进行蒸制了。将鱼糜放入蒸锅中蒸熟，在高温的作用下，油脂溶解，鱼糕变得愈发松软。40分钟后，抹上一层金黄的蛋液，回锅复蒸后，鱼肉脱胎换骨，就做成了鱼糕。成品色泽洁白、质地柔滑、富有弹性，实现“吃鱼不见鱼”的味觉奇迹。
民俗文化
荆州鱼糕是荆楚饮食文化的代表，体现‘吃鱼不见鱼’的烹饪智慧，融合楚地食材与礼仪文化，成为荆楚美食名片。在荆州，荆州鱼糕早已超越了单纯的美食范畴，融入了当地的民俗文化之中，成为人们表达情感、传递祝福的重要载体。随着时代的发展，荆州鱼糕的制作工艺不断创新，造型也愈发精美。如今，当地百姓在制作鱼糕时，还会搭配其他食材，打造出更加丰富多样的菜品：用鱼肉和肥膘肉制成鱼糕，再用猪肉、山药等制成圆润的肉丸，将肉丸铺在碗底，鱼糕放在中间，最后用炒香的肚片、腰片、木耳、香菇等食材铺在最上层，做成一道色彩绚丽、营养丰富的“杂烩丸子”，当地人也称之为“花糕”。这道改良后的鱼糕菜品，不仅风味更加浓郁，更成为了荆州一带红白喜事宴席上不可或缺的头道菜。荆州鱼糕已经超越了单纯的饮食习惯而积淀成为一种独具特色的地方民俗文化。鱼糕谐音“余高”，寓意“年年有余，步步高升”。千百年来在荆州一带，逢年过节、婚丧嫁娶、喜庆宴会，鱼糕都是宴请宾客必须有的一道大菜，并有“无酒不成宴，无糕不成席”的说法。
参考文献
[1] 荆州市商务局。楚味荆州 [M]. 武汉：湖北科学技术出版社，2020.
[2] 张卫平。荆楚饮食文化精粹 [M]. 武汉：湖北人民出版社，2021.
[3] 湖北省人民政府外事办公室. Jingzhou Tourism 2018: Local Food of Jingzhou (EB/OL). (2015-07-09)[2025-12-29].
[4] 百度百科。荆州鱼糕 [EB/OL]. (更新日期：2025-06-11)[引用日期：2025-12-29]. https://baike.baidu.com/item/荆州鱼糕.
术语
荆州鱼糕 Jingzhou Fish Cake
省级非物质文化遗产 Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage
国家地理标志产品 National Geographical Indication Product
鱼米之乡 a land of fish and rice
鱼糜fish paste
宫廷名菜 royal court dish
宴席头菜signature banquet first course
杂烩丸子assorted meatballs
问题
1. 荆州鱼糕被称为荆楚饮食文化核心符号，关键原因是什么？
2. 荆州盛产鱼糕的先天条件是什么？
3. 荆州鱼糕谐音是什么，有什么吉祥寓意？
4. 荆州鱼糕相传由谁所创，历史上曾是哪个时期的宫廷菜？
5. 制作荆州鱼糕首选什么原材料？
6. 手工搅打鱼糜的关键要求是什么？
答案
1. 因它“食鱼不见鱼”的精妙口感和“无糕不成席”的民俗地位。
2. 地处江汉平原、河湖密布，是鱼米之乡，自古盛产鱼。
3. 谐音“余高”，寓意年年有余、步步高升。
4. 相传为舜帝妃子女英所创；春秋战国至清朝均为宫廷菜。
5. 首选长江流域7-8斤鲜活草鱼、青鱼.
6. 需顺一个方向搅打至鱼糜粘稠上劲、蓬松有弹性。