Steamed Shad 清蒸鲥鱼
Steamed Shad is featured among the local specialties of Shanghai.
Steamed shad (清蒸鲥鱼) presents the fish with gentle seasoning and its cooking juices. It appears in Shanghai restaurant cooking and the wider Jiangnan culinary tradition.
How it is prepared
A documented home recipe steams the cleaned fish with its scales on, adding ham, mushroom, bamboo shoot and ginger. It finishes with seasoned cooking juices. This is one example of the preparation, not a required garnish list for all restaurants.
Flavour & texture
The intended texture is tender and rich. Leaving the scales on is a recognised feature of this preparation, so their presence need not mean that cleaning was omitted; ask staff how the fish is served and separated.
Local context & naming
Shanghai's Commerce Commission names the dish among Su Zhe Hui's signature dishes. The menu name describes a cooking style and does not establish the fish's species, wild origin or current source.
Ordering this dish
Confirm the species and provenance, whether a portion is a whole fish or a cut, and the price unit before agreeing to the order. Request help portioning it if you are unfamiliar with shad.
At the table
Separate small flakes carefully and watch for fine bones. Taste the cooking juices first, then use a little ginger vinegar if supplied; avoid swallowing scales or bones.
Ingredients to check
Contains fish. Ham, lard and cooking wine appear in the cited example, so plain steaming should not be taken to mean a pork-free or alcohol-free recipe.
More dishes to compare
Explore related local specialties and compare their names, preparation notes and ordering guidance.
Fish-Head Casserole with Wine-Lees Broth 砂锅糟香鱼头 →
Wine-lees fish-head casserole (砂锅糟香鱼头) combines tender fish-head meat with a broth scented by fermented rice-wine lees. It is a hot soup-style dish associated with Shanghai cooking.
Three Shredded Ingredients in Clear Broth 扣三丝 →
Kou sansi (扣三丝) presents finely shredded ingredients as a neat mound in clear broth. Shanghai's official food guide describes chicken, pork and winter bamboo shoots, making this a composed meat-and-vegetable dish rather than noodles.
Questions before you order
Does the name guarantee wild Yangtze shad?
No. Ask the restaurant for the species and source; the dish name identifies the preparation, not the supply chain.
Sources & reading
Identity and the described preparation checked against the linked sources on 9 September 2026. Named chef, maker and home recipes are documented examples, not universal restaurant specifications. Serving and ordering suggestions are editorial guidance. No recipe testing, exclusive origin, current availability or dietary certification is claimed.
Recipes and servings vary between kitchens.