Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls 嘉鱼簰洲鱼圆
Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls is featured among the local specialties of Hubei.
Jiayu Paizhou Fish Balls (嘉鱼簰洲鱼圆) are fish balls from Jiayu County (嘉鱼县) in Xianning (咸宁), Hubei, whose towns include Paizhouwan (簰洲湾镇). Chinese Wikipedia records Jiayu fish balls (嘉鱼鱼圆) as a Hubei provincial geographical-indication protected product.
How it is made
In Hubei fish balls are usually called yuyuan (鱼圆), 'fish rounds', rather than yuwan. Chinese Wikipedia describes the Hubei method: the flesh is scraped off the fish with a knife and chopped fine, then mixed with starch, lard and egg white. Salt and scallion-and-ginger juice are stirred in, and the paste is tested by squeezing out a ball; if it floats, the paste is ready. The balls go into a pan of cold water and are done when it comes to the boil. Fish cake (鱼糕) and fish noodles (鱼面) are made in Hubei in a similar way.
The best balls are made from yellowcheek carp (鳡鱼), while black carp, grass carp, bighead carp, silver carp, mandarin fish and common carp are also used.
Where it comes from
Hubei has many rivers and lakes and a large freshwater-fish catch, and making fish balls at home is widespread; at New Year and other celebrations a fish-ball dish is almost always on the table. Jiayu County lies on the Jianghan Plain (江汉平原) beside the Yangtze, with Wuhan to the north and Chibi (赤壁) to the south, and its Sanhu Lianjiang Reservoir (三湖连江水库) links Bai Lake, Meixie Lake and Jinxia Lake to the Yangtze. The county took its name in 953, under the Southern Tang, from the Book of Songs ode 'Nan You Jia Yu' (南有嘉鱼), 'in the south there are fine fish'.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Chibi Steamed Fish Cake 赤壁鱼糕 →
Fish cake from Chibi, the county's southern neighbour; Hubei fish cake is made from a fish paste in a similar way to these balls.
