Shaoshan Fire-Dried Small Fish 韶山火焙鱼

Shaoshan Fire-Dried Small Fish (韶山火焙鱼) belongs to the Mao family cuisine of Shaoshan (韶山). Small fish are gutted, dried in a pan over a fire, cooled and then smoked. They can later be pan-fried, stir-fried or steamed with seasonings such as chillies, garlic and perilla.

Drying and smoking

New Xiangtan (新湘潭) describes fish from streams in Shaoshanchong (韶山冲), smoked over materials including rice husks, peanut shells, orange peel and wood shavings. Hunan’s culture and tourism department describes another preparation in which cleaned small fish are laid in an oiled pan, heated slowly and turned individually with chopsticks once the first side is golden. After the second side colours, the fish spend three days in a smoking room.

On the Shaoshan table

The smoked fish accompany rice and also form part of festive meals. In its January 2025 account of Shaoshan’s Lunar New Year food, New Xiangtan places fire-dried fish alongside red-braised pork, fermented black beans with chillies and chopped chillies as characteristic dishes of Mao family cuisine.