Wen'an Smoked Fish 文安熏鱼

Wen'an Smoked Fish (文安熏鱼) is a smoked-fish speciality of Wen'an County (文安县) in Langfang (廊坊), Hebei, which the Langfang city government names among the local snacks no account of Langfang food can leave out.

Where it comes from

The Langfang government singles out the smoked fish of the Jin family (靳家) of Wen'an, which is on Langfang's municipal intangible cultural heritage protection list. It describes Jin family smoked fish as a Langfang food landmark, voted by local people onto both the city's "top ten famous snacks" and its "top ten foods to eat on a road trip", and a favourite gift when visiting relatives and friends. Jin Jianxu (靳建旭), the family's new-generation inheritor, has taken the business beyond the family home.

How it is made

After the Jin family registered its trademark in 2010, it spent a year combining the traditional craft with modern food processing. The family built its own dryer to dry the fish on both sides, keeping the traditional flavour and the right degree of dryness and keeping flies and mosquitoes off the fish while it dries. The fish is also vacuum-packed and heat-sterilised, which extends its shelf life to six months.

Flavour and texture

The Langfang government describes Jin family smoked fish as clean and fragrant on the palate, with a distinctive flavour. The range runs to more than ten products, made from Wuchang bream (武昌鱼), black carp (青鱼), loach, turbot and fish roe, and it is sold in small bags and jars as well.