Chaohu whitebaite

　　Chaohu whitebaite was named as “Huicanyu”, “yuyuyu”, “baixiao” and “bingyu” and is ranked as the queen of fish. Because of its thin, silver-like and transparent body, thus got the name. Chaohu whitebaite grows from one of five fresh water lake “chaohu”.

　　Chaohu whitebait has thin and long body, pure and white as silver, fresh and tasty. It is around 5cm long, the body is long and flat, transparent, without scalp with big eyes and short mouth. Whitebaite is a fish floating on top of water, spawn in early spring of March and April, dead after spawn. The children whitebaite grows one or two months for mature and in April it is the peak season for fishing.

　　Chaohu whitebaite is a famous fresh water fish, a very precious species of Chaohu. The whitebaite from winter is named as “zhitou whitebaite”. The whitebaite from spring is named as “haitiao whitebaite”. The whitebaite made in winter has more flesh and taste fresher than that from spring. Every February, March, April and fall is the natural breeding period of Chaohu whitebaite. After one or two month, the baby fish can mature. There are two fishing period, from middle May to June and from middle Sep to Middle October. The peak fishing period is the spring and fall.

　　Chaohu whitebaite egg flower soup, fried Chaohu whitebaite tofu, sauced Chaohu whitebaite, Chaohu whitebaite egg, fried Chaohu whitebaite & white cabbage all taste delicious. If getting rid of the head and tail of whitebaite, the taste of body syrup of Chaohu whitebaite is the same as crab syrup. If cutting shrimp and fat meat into minced pieces, adding with whitebaite, after steaming, it is similar to bird nestle which is so tender and fresh, oil, smooth but not greasy, a real gourmet.

　　Chaohu whitebaite can moisten lung, arrest cough, reinforce the spleen and the stomach, open the inhibited lung-energy and using diuretic of hydragogue to alleviate water retention. It can heal weakness of the spleen and the stomach, cough due to deficiency of the lung, and  deficiency disease. It has the effect of nourishing the stomach yin, and meridians. According to modern analysis, whitebaite is nutritious with rich calcium, high protein and low fat. Because whitebaite does not have fish bone and very fit for children. Whitebaite belong to whole dish and do not need to get rid of bone and fin, it is nutritious for enhancing immune function and longevity. Whitebaite is fit for Physical weakness, Indigestion person, inanition, cough due to deficiency of the lung, hyperlipidemia patients, weakness of the spleen and the stomach, and consumptive disease. Every 100g whitebaite provides heat 407 kilocalorie, almost 5-6 times of normal fish, with 761 milligram calcium, ranked as top of all fish.

　　There is a fable regarding the origin of the whitebaite. In Qin dynasty, Mengjiangnv travelled far for seeking her beloved husband. She could not find her husband and cried a lot. All her tears dropped into the lake and turned into the white whitebaite. Those whitebaite finally settled down in Chaohu. The big eyes of whitebaite are similar to the eyes of Mengjiangnv who was so anxious for meeting her husband.