When the oil temperature in the kitchen reaches 30 percent of its maximum, Ju Zhang, the third-generation inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage dish "Golden Fried Carp," holds a prepared fish. Gently lifting it by its head and tail with his fingertips, Ju slowly lowers the batter-coated body into the oil. Under the high heat, hundreds of strands instantly spread and puff up, their golden color as flamboyant as a lion's mane. Accompanied by the sizzling sound of hot oil, a fragrant aroma gradually fills the air.
There's a saying, "A majestic lion reclines on the plate, an exquisite work surpassing nature, timeless for all seasons." This famous dish, hailed as the essence of Hebei cuisine, was born in 1951 at the Shijiazhuang Railway Station Restaurant. Yuan Qingfang, a master of Hebei cuisine, innovated based on the traditional dish "Quick-Fried Fish." He upgraded the sliced fish flesh into distinct, thin strands, which, after deep-frying, set into a shape resembling a lion. In 1983, Yuan's senior apprentice, Liu Zhenshan, brought this dish to the first National Cooking Competition. Thanks to its lifelike shape and crispy exterior yet tender interior texture, it became the only dish from Hebei Province to be designated a state banquet dish.
A successfully made "Golden Fried Carp" embodies a set of nearly rigorous, meticulous standards of craftsmanship. From ingredient selection to the final dish, six steps are intricately linked, with every detail testing the chef's fundamentals. Ju explains that the ingredient must be a fresh Yellow River carp weighing around 3.5 jin (approximately 1.75 kg). This specific size is ideal for showcasing the majestic form of a lion while providing a suitable serving portion for a banquet. After cleaning, the fish undergoes a freezing process to firm up the flesh, laying the groundwork for the subsequent uniform slicing.
Knife skills are the soul of this dish. The frozen fish body must be sliced into about 32 pieces, 16 on each side, with balanced thickness and length. Then, using scissors, each slice is individually cut into fine strands, requiring them to be fluffy and interlaced, uniform in thickness, and unbroken, ultimately forming hundreds of strands resembling a lion's mane. Ju, who entered the kitchen at 18, was influenced by his grandfather. He spent the first year mastering the fundamentals, practicing his knife grip by cutting 10 jin (5kg) of radishes and potatoes into shreds every day at noon. Subsequently, he honed his skills through practical work with tens of thousands of fish, spending nearly three years perfecting his exquisite knife technique.
The three steps of batter-coating, deep-frying, and sauce-pouring test the chef's control over heat and precision. Each fish strand must be evenly coated with a crispy batter. During frying, the chef must hold the fish close to the oil surface, shaking it gently while frying to allow the strands to spread and set. After a second frying, the fish's body becomes golden and crispy. Finally, it is topped with a sweet and sour sauce, completing a dish that excels in both form and flavor.
The essence of inheritance lies in preserving tradition while innovating. In terms of taste, Ju has incorporated compound fruit flavors like orange juice and apple jam on a traditional basis, adding more depth to the palate.
"Mastering this dish is a significant marker of becoming a qualified Hebei chef," Ju said with pride. As the third-generation inheritor, Ju acknowledges the responsibility on his shoulders, "I must continue the traditional techniques and also strive to bring this Hebei cuisine dish to the whole country and the world."
(Reporter & Cameraperson: Li Yingyin; Editor: Anna Li; English Editor: Darius)
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