At the table
Separate small bites with chopsticks and check carefully for bones before eating.
Contains fish and may retain small bones. Soy sauces and other seasonings vary; check them if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Dried chili gives this version moderate chili heat; the amount varies. Sichuan pepper’s tingling is separate from chili heat.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Green Sichuan peppercorns can flavor the marinade, with dried chili added in the pan.
Typical ingredients
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Savory, spicy and pepper-fragrant
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Firm flesh with a slightly chewy crust.
- How it’s made
- Marinate thick grass-carp pieces under a weight, fry in rapeseed oil, then add aromatics and seasonings.
Green Sichuan peppercorns can flavor the marinade, with dried chili added in the pan.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Hubei.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有武汉糍粑鱼吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Ciba Fish: A Rice-Cake Name, a Fish Dish
Ciba fish takes its name from a crust reminiscent of pan-fried rice cake, not from rice in the recipe. In Wuhan, the firm, savoury pieces are a traditional dish shared with drinks. A representative preparation presses marinated grass carp to firm the flesh, then pan-fries it before adding ginger, garlic and dried chili. The appeal is the contrast between the browned, slightly chewy surface and seasoned fish inside; Sichuan pepper adds a separate tingling note.