Snakehead fish
The snakehead, a freshwater fish with firm, sweet white flesh and few pin bones, sold live or whole in Hong Kong markets. Pan-fried with ginger until lightly golden and then boiled hard, it produces a robust milky broth that stands up to watercress or papaya. It is the traditional fish for convalescent soups.
TCM properties
Nature · neutral Flavour · sweet Meridians · spleen、stomach
Traditional food therapy
In Cantonese food therapy it is used to strengthen the spleen and promote water metabolism, and folk tradition long favoured it in soups during recovery to support the renewal of flesh.
Cautions: read first
- Some folk tradition counts fish as a stirring food (發物), one said to aggravate existing conditions, so use your own judgement during a skin flare
- Take care if you have gout
Preparation
Clean and scale the fish and pat it dry, then fry it in oil with ginger until lightly golden before boiling.
Origin
The pond-fish farming areas of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong. Live snakehead is a prohibited noxious species in Australia; barramundi is the usual local stand-in
Availability in Australia
Herbal shops / specialists
