Yellow River Carp 黄河鲤鱼
Yellow River Carp is featured among the local specialties of Henan.
Yellow River Carp (黄河鲤鱼) appears in several preparations in Zhengzhou (郑州), with red-braising a prominent local treatment. Its blue-green back, golden scales and red tail are described in Henan Daily’s account of riverside cooking in Huiji District (惠济区).
A local red-braised version
At Tieniu Yujia (铁牛渔家) in Houliu village (后刘村), cook Zhang Tieniu (张铁牛) prepares the carp in a large iron pot, where it simmers in an amber-coloured sauce. Henan Daily describes the red-braising technique as a family inheritance. Zhang moved his riverside catering operation ashore during the clean-up of the Yellow River banks.
Different cooks, different coatings
The fish also featured in the sixth Awu Cup (阿五杯) Yellow River Carp Cooking Competition, held in Zhengzhou on 21 February 2023. Henan Business Daily observed competitor Dong Hongjun (董红军) coating a prepared carp with egg and starch before frying. Another entrant used starch without egg, while red-braising was among the approaches on display.
Sources & reading
Written from the linked sources and fact-checked against them on 2026-09-26. Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.
