剁椒鱼头 (duòjiāo yútóu) · steamed fish head with chopped chilies

Measure Word

一份剁椒鱼头 fèn

Meanings

1 steamed fish head with chopped chilies

Made with

About the dish

湘菜 Hunan · 热菜 Hot dish

The head of a large carp, split in half and steamed under a thick layer of chopped salted red chili, so it is oily, salty and hot. The meat is tender and full of bones; the leftover sauce is often tossed with noodles.

Usually contains fish

Characters

Examples

HSK 7-9

剁椒鱼头是湘菜的招牌。

Duòjiāo yútóu shì xiāngcài de zhāopai.

Chopped-chili fish head is a signature Hunan dish.

HSK 7-9

这家店用双色剁椒做鱼头。

Zhè jiā diàn yòng shuāngsè duòjiāo zuò yútóu.

This restaurant uses two colors of chopped chili on the fish head.

Tips

culture

Invented in early Qing-era Hunan, said to trace to scholar 黄宗宪 who hid from the Kangxi Emperor's literary inquisition in a farmer's home; the cook steamed a fish head with homemade 剁椒 and the dish stuck. Classic fish: 雄鱼 (bighead carp). Serve with noodles to soak up the chili oil.