While so many Chinese animal names make delightful sense—that “giraffe” translates as “long-necked deer” never fails to delight us—this rule only sometimes applies to fish. For example, one cannot say the words for “cat” and “fish” and expect to receive anything but a skeptical stare, or perhaps a derisive chuckle (and certainly not a plate of roasted catfish) in return.

There are also many similar but not-quite-the-same fish, like carp, whose differences have even stumped our Chinese friends. Here we offer a little primer so that the next time you order shuizhuyu or wander through a wet market, you’ll be a total boss when it comes to knowing what’s delicious, and what you want to avoid.

The Carp Family

Not to be confused with the decorative koi you see in Japanese garden ponds, freshwater common carp (鲤鱼, lĭyú, Cyprinus carpio), grass carp (草鱼, căoyú, Ctenopharyngodon idella) and bighead carp (鳙鱼, yōng yú, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) range from gray-brown to silver in hue.

There are small differences between the common and grass carp; the former species is omnivorous, the latter herbivorous, and their head shapes are different. All of these carp are classified as invasive species outside of China, but when it comes to consumption in China, carp are easily the most common fish—both common and grass carp can be found floating listlessly in restaurant tanks. Bighead carp are much larger—and are colloquially referred to by their more literal name, pangtouyu (fat-headed fish).

Best Dishes: Bighead carp are the most likely (and obvious) candidates for fish head dishes, which range in price RMB150-250 at typical restaurants. Common and grass carp can be cooked in just about any style, but you’ll most likely end up ordering it for shuizhuyu or roast fish due to its tender meat and affordable price. Sometimes they'll be served whole, other times the meat is sliced for cooking.

Bones: These fish are bony (even when sliced), but the larger size of the bones is more manageable, and you’re unlikely to swallow one if you’re being careful. The bones in fish heads are more plate-like, ideal for peeling the meat away.

Pro tip: On the offhand chance that a fish bone does get down your gullet, roll up a ball of rice and swallow it whole (but do not choke!) to help the bone move along. Chinese lore says you can drink vinegar, which does soften bones, but probably not at a speed that will provide immediate relief.

Yellow Croaker

Yellow croaker (黄鱼, huángyú, Larimichthys polyactis), a saltwater fish also popular in Japan and Korea, are much smaller and more round-bodied in profile than carp, and come in two different sizes, large and small. The white meat is nice, light and a bit sweet.

Best Dishes: Since, even large yellow croaker are not massive, they’ll usually show up cooked whole, or sometimes roasted on skewers (you can find an excellent preparation at Yakitasty in Dongzhimen). Small ones, which are a little longer than the average palm, are delicious when butterflied, coated in flour and deep fried.

Bones: There are fewer bones in croaker than carp, but they are finer, so one must be careful. If cooking the fish yourself, it’s fairly easily deboned in advance, but in restaurants the bones are usually intact. For deep-fried small yellow croaker, you can usually nibble around, then pull out the spine and most of the attached rib bones.

Mandarin Fish

Native to the Amur River basin and other rivers in China, the mandarin fish (桂鱼, guiyú, Siniperca chuatsi) is renowned for its delicate flavor. As befits its name (gui being a homonym for expensive or precious) mandarin fish in various guises was often found at nobles’ tables, and today in the contemporary equivalent, state banquets and wedding feasts.

Best Dishes: Squirrel mandarin fish (松鼠桂鱼, sōngshŭ guìyú) is a quintessential preparation and highlights this fish’s tender white flesh. At Made in China, Chef Kent Jin offers a delectable crispy smoked mandarin fish, all lacy oil-fried edges and clinging, aromatic sauce. If you’re feeling flush, spring for a mandarin fish when ordering shuizhuyu—the textural contrast between its flesh and the bean sprouts is heavenly.

Bones: A member of the perch family, mandarin fish and its ilk lack the intramuscular bones found in their carp brethren, and thus are much more user-friendly to beginner whole-fish eaters.

Catfish

Familiar to anyone from North America (especially the southern United States), catfish (nián yú, 鲇鱼, Silurus asotus) are river fish and the quintessential bottom feeders. The meat tends to come apart in larger flakes, and is believed to be nutritious in China. As a disturbing aside, catfish can grow to be huge, and every once in a while, a story appears in Chinese media of a massive catfish that is caught and then cut open to reveal human remains. A commonly seen subspecies of catfish on Chinese menus is jiāngtuán (江团, or the Chinese longsnout catfish).

Best Dishes: Catfish meat is usually sliced up for cooking; you may receive pinkish slices for dipping in your hot pot, and generally the heartier meat tends to go well with spicy cuisine, as its own flavors are powerful enough that the peppers cannot quite mask them.

Bones: It depends on the preparation, but when sliced, catfish can be served deboned. If you need to ask a fuwuyuan about the bone situation for any given fish, the term is “鱼刺” (yúcì, literally “fish thorns”). Usually fish slices, or 鱼片 (yú piàn) are free of tricky bones.

Turbot

You’ve undoubtedly seen turbot ( 多宝鱼, duō băo yú, Scophthalmus maximus), a broad, flat fish forlornly staring up at you from the bottom of a restaurant tank with the two eyes on top of its head. This fish with dappled skin is in no way native to China, but it is farmed here.

Best Dishes: Turbot typically is poached or steamed, as the meat is quite delicate. Try ordering steamed turbot (清蒸多宝鱼, qingzheng duobaoyu); expect the fish to be served looking much as it did in the tank, but with slivers of ginger and a sprinkling of colorful chilies.

Bones: As with any whole fish, there are definitely bones present, but they’re large enough to avoid.

Source: Cityweekend

There are also many similar but not-quite-the-same fish, like carp, whose differences have even stumped our Chinese friends. Here we offer a little primer so that the next time you order shuizhuyu or wander through a wet market, you’ll be a total boss when it comes to knowing what’s delicious, and what you want to avoid.

The Carp Family

Not to be confused with the decorative koi you see in Japanese garden ponds, freshwater common carp (鲤鱼, lĭyú, Cyprinus carpio), grass carp (草鱼, căoyú, Ctenopharyngodon idella) and bighead carp (鳙鱼, yōng yú, Hypophthalmichthys nobilis) range from gray-brown to silver in hue.

There are small differences between the common and grass carp; the former species is omnivorous, the latter herbivorous, and their head shapes are different. All of these carp are classified as invasive species outside of China, but when it comes to consumption in China, carp are easily the most common fish—both common and grass carp can be found floating listlessly in restaurant tanks. Bighead carp are much larger—and are colloquially referred to by their more literal name, pangtouyu (fat-headed fish).

Best Dishes: Bighead carp are the most likely (and obvious) candidates for fish head dishes, which range in price RMB150-250 at typical restaurants. Common and grass carp can be cooked in just about any style, but you’ll most likely end up ordering it for shuizhuyu or roast fish due to its tender meat and affordable price. Sometimes they'll be served whole, other times the meat is sliced for cooking.

Bones: These fish are bony (even when sliced), but the larger size of the bones is more manageable, and you’re unlikely to swallow one if you’re being careful. The bones in fish heads are more plate-like, ideal for peeling the meat away.

Pro tip: On the offhand chance that a fish bone does get down your gullet, roll up a ball of rice and swallow it whole (but do not choke!) to help the bone move along. Chinese lore says you can drink vinegar, which does soften bones, but probably not at a speed that will provide immediate relief.

Yellow Croaker

Yellow croaker (黄鱼, huángyú, Larimichthys polyactis), a saltwater fish also popular in Japan and Korea, are much smaller and more round-bodied in profile than carp, and come in two different sizes, large and small. The white meat is nice, light and a bit sweet.

Best Dishes: Since, even large yellow croaker are not massive, they’ll usually show up cooked whole, or sometimes roasted on skewers (you can find an excellent preparation at Yakitasty in Dongzhimen). Small ones, which are a little longer than the average palm, are delicious when butterflied, coated in flour and deep fried.

Bones: There are fewer bones in croaker than carp, but they are finer, so one must be careful. If cooking the fish yourself, it’s fairly easily deboned in advance, but in restaurants the bones are usually intact. For deep-fried small yellow croaker, you can usually nibble around, then pull out the spine and most of the attached rib bones.

Mandarin Fish

Native to the Amur River basin and other rivers in China, the mandarin fish (桂鱼, guiyú, Siniperca chuatsi) is renowned for its delicate flavor. As befits its name (gui being a homonym for expensive or precious) mandarin fish in various guises was often found at nobles’ tables, and today in the contemporary equivalent, state banquets and wedding feasts.

Best Dishes: Squirrel mandarin fish (松鼠桂鱼, sōngshŭ guìyú) is a quintessential preparation and highlights this fish’s tender white flesh. At Made in China, Chef Kent Jin offers a delectable crispy smoked mandarin fish, all lacy oil-fried edges and clinging, aromatic sauce. If you’re feeling flush, spring for a mandarin fish when ordering shuizhuyu—the textural contrast between its flesh and the bean sprouts is heavenly.

Bones: A member of the perch family, mandarin fish and its ilk lack the intramuscular bones found in their carp brethren, and thus are much more user-friendly to beginner whole-fish eaters.

Catfish

Familiar to anyone from North America (especially the southern United States), catfish (nián yú, 鲇鱼, Silurus asotus) are river fish and the quintessential bottom feeders. The meat tends to come apart in larger flakes, and is believed to be nutritious in China. As a disturbing aside, catfish can grow to be huge, and every once in a while, a story appears in Chinese media of a massive catfish that is caught and then cut open to reveal human remains. A commonly seen subspecies of catfish on Chinese menus is jiāngtuán (江团, or the Chinese longsnout catfish).

Best Dishes: Catfish meat is usually sliced up for cooking; you may receive pinkish slices for dipping in your hot pot, and generally the heartier meat tends to go well with spicy cuisine, as its own flavors are powerful enough that the peppers cannot quite mask them.

Bones: It depends on the preparation, but when sliced, catfish can be served deboned. If you need to ask a fuwuyuan about the bone situation for any given fish, the term is “鱼刺” (yúcì, literally “fish thorns”). Usually fish slices, or 鱼片 (yú piàn) are free of tricky bones.

Turbot

You’ve undoubtedly seen turbot ( 多宝鱼, duō băo yú, Scophthalmus maximus), a broad, flat fish forlornly staring up at you from the bottom of a restaurant tank with the two eyes on top of its head. This fish with dappled skin is in no way native to China, but it is farmed here.

Best Dishes: Turbot typically is poached or steamed, as the meat is quite delicate. Try ordering steamed turbot (清蒸多宝鱼, qingzheng duobaoyu); expect the fish to be served looking much as it did in the tank, but with slivers of ginger and a sprinkling of colorful chilies.

Bones: As with any whole fish, there are definitely bones present, but they’re large enough to avoid.

Source: Cityweekend