The most beautiful thing in Hangzhou is West Lake. You must go up to the outside building to taste sweet and sour fish when you visit West Lake.

When I arrived at the shore of West Lake, I followed the lakeside road with green willows, passed the Wanghu Tower, climbed the broken bridge, walked through the white dike, passed the autumn moon in Pinghu, and saw the Louwai Tower, which was leisurely beside the lonely mountains and the lake. Then I went to the Xiling Seal Society and Yu Quyuan Former Residence, and Qiu Jin Fengyu Pavilion. After walking around, I arrived at Yue Temple and Quyuan Fenghe...

The tower is so beautiful that the tower is echoing several famous attractions such as Broken Bridge and Snow, the Three Pools of Moon, and the Spring Dawn of Su Di, which is uniquely viewed. The mountain light is quiet against the smoke and waves, and the tower shadow is clear and the water and moon are clear. Although tourists come to visit the paradise on earth, their expectation for the deliciousness of heaven is also a sensation.

If you can enjoy the beautiful place like Louwailou and enjoy the lake and mountains outside the window, the delicious food of the world, along with the poems and essays from the past, that would be a trip to West Lake! It is said that in Louwailou, there is a "Ten Scenery Banquet" with the theme of "West Lake in Paradise", which cooks the artistic conception of ten famous West Lake attractions such as Broken Bridge and Snow, Three Pools Moon Seal, Su Di Chunxiao into delicious dishes, allowing people to taste the beautiful scenery of West Lake on their tongues and hide them in their thoughts.

By the lake and the window, I ordered a cup of Longjing first and ordered the dishes slowly. The dishes came up. I remember that while I was having a feast, there were willow catkins floating in outside the window, which were fresh and pleasant, and I was deeply impressed. At that time, there were not as many tourists as now, and most of the diners were calm and composed. The building outside the building was only a two-story building with green tiles and flying eaves, and the chef was very attentive to cook.

West Lake grass carp is specially raised in the pool next to the stairs of the hall. It is more than one foot long and weighs one or two pounds. The customer can order it and grab which one. After cleaning it, fry it in the oil pan for three or two minutes, pour it on vinegar and crispy. When served, the fish's mouth and tail are still moving slightly. The meat is naturally very delicious, smooth and tender, sweet and sour, and has unique characteristics.

Later, when I tried West Lake vinegar fish, I found that there had been a change. Generally, I no longer put the live fish directly into the pot, but cut the slaughtered and washed fish body into two pieces, pulled the fish bones off, and boiled them in clean water. The sweet and sour thickened with just the right thickness and light, and applied to the fish spliced ​​with a styling and stylish head, tail, and exuded a clear and elegant luster like sandalwood.

Because the fish has been hungry in the clear water pond for two days and vomits the stomach and intestines, it not only does not have the slightest smell of mud, but also has a slight smell of crab meat. The characteristic of this dish is that it does not use oil, but only boiled with boiled water and seasonings. The heat requirements are very strict when cooking. In just three or four minutes, until the fish's pectoral fins are raised, the fish meat is broken as the degree of freshness and tenderness, and the original taste is paid attention to. Look at the inscription hanging on the wall of the store, and you will know that no wonder so many cultural masters and celebrities from all walks of life are flocking to it.

Zhejiang cuisine is rich in Jiangnan characteristics. The ingredients are used with emphasis on variety and seasonal conditions, and are delicate, special and fresh, to fully reflect the tenderness and crispness of the ingredients. The three fresh sea cucumbers can be said to be famous all over the world. In the Loutang Hall, which specializes in Hangzhou-style dishes, the main famous dishes are not only West Lake vinegar fish, but also Song Sao Fish Soup, Longjing Shrimp, Dongpo Pork, Ringling Beller, Beef Chicken... The dishes are like Xishi Tong, Silver Shrimp Roll, San Fresh Baked Mai, Shrimp Roast Baked Mai, Cat Ears, etc.

When it comes to dishes by the West Lake, people in Hangzhou have their own opinions. More than a hundred years ago, a down-and-out scholar named Hong opened a small shop next to the temple, cooking fresh West Lake fish and shrimp into special dishes to serve tourists. The scholar used the ink in his belly to incorporate the historical stories and legends circulating in West Lake into the recipe, and digging his thoughts on the ingredients, taste, taste, and characteristics to create a very literary special dish, and gradually gained fame.

Sweet and sour fish are the first signature dish by the lake and the finishing touch. Some people say that the real original creator of West Lake vinegar fish is a "Son-Sister-Son" who is loved by literati, and his brother-in-law is the thug. Therefore, West Lake vinegar fish is also called "Son-Sister-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-Son-S

There is also the West Lake water shield soup. Zhang Han of the Jin Dynasty saw the autumn wind blowing and missed the deliciousness of sea bass water shield in his hometown. He simply abandoned his official position and returned home. The allusions and poetry are in the simple, elegant, smooth and tender soup. Song Sao Fish Soup, the umami flavor of sea bass shredded bamboo shoots and the tobacco fragrance of ham shredded bamboo shoots is seamless, making people unable to stop eating.

"I get drunk in my skirts and clogs, and I go up the stairs in the green sun shadow; there are so many boats in front of the door, half from the three pools to mark the moon. Why go back to find Zhang Hanyuan? The beautiful fish flavor is said to the West Lake. I have this kind of harmony and know that Mrs. Song was not there back then?" There are many literati and elegant diners, and the food of West Lake is famous all over the world with their poems and essays.

Sour can remove fishy fishy, ​​and spicy can suppress the formation. For people in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai, sweetness can best protect many life miscellaneous flavors. Last autumn, I went around Guangxi and found that all the fish dishes there were tomatoes, sour and spicy. I am sweet and not tolerant of spicy food. Over the years, I have imitated West Lake vinegar fish at home, but it has never been successful. The problem is not to cut the fish and make the knife flowers, nor to put clean water into the pot, add sugar, salt, black vinegar, soy sauce, pepper, and then add raw powder to thicken... The main reason is that the fish is blanched in water, and it is difficult to get out of the pot when tender.

After several failures, I finally figured out a way to keep the fish in the water together. I also used the original soup to make the sauce without adding oil, especially fresh and tender. However, there is one condition that cannot be easily achieved. Grass carp must be alive, and the ruler is suitable for the growth. When the meat is big, it will be too old. It is best to put it in clean water and keep it hungry for three or two days to tighten the fish.

Whether you are by the West Lake or not, if you want to taste the authentic West Lake vinegar fish, you have to go to some famous Hangzhou restaurants. However, for ordinary outsiders, the ones that are worthy of the name are probably "Louwailou" next to Gushan and "Tianwaitian" on Lingyin Temple. These two restaurants have a long history and reputation after all, and the dishes can definitely be considered the best food in Hangzhou.

If you ask the locals in Hangzhou where the West Lake vinegar fish is the most authentic, they may tell you some famous stores like "Tianxianglou", "Xinbailu", "Wang Runxing", "Zhang Shengji", "Kuiyuanguan", etc., of course the consumption is not low. It is said that the favorite place for locals in Hangzhou is "Grandma's House". The Hangzhou cuisine there is not only authentic but also relatively low price, but the "Zhiweiguan" next to Hongli Villa on Tonghuagang Fish Spot is too many people, so you must be prepared to queue up.

The oily Dongpo pork, Song Sao fish soup, and water chestnut soup, plus a dessert Dongpo crispy. The sweet and sour fish was finally served, and two slices were spread in a pair of flat pieces in an oval wide blue and white plate, poured with crystal clear amber sugar sauce, which looked aroused people's appetite.

I stretched out the chopsticks and picked up a small piece into my mouth. A sweet and sour feeling instantly spread across the tongue coating. Then I gently wrapped my tongue and savored it. Well, the taste is as fresh as ever, it is the freshness, smoothness, pure and quietness of the ageless... Without a thorn, it is probably the difference between this "highest" fish and ordinary West Lake grass carp. The price of the latter is only one-third of that of the former.

From Fenghe, Quyuan, I went to Sudi, and walked to Huagang to watch the fish in the gentle wind blowing willows. Just in the twilight, I went to Hongli Villa with neon lights and tasted the lakeside food. Because I once wrote the old sentence "The willows on Quqiao are remembering the gracefulness, and I have a few wine tours in front of the Hongli Building", I was particularly moved by the Yanlang Quqiao and the carved windows of green tiles here.
Chapter completed!