Ingredient Name: Dried Salted Fish

Traditional Chinese Name: 鹽魚 (yán yú) in Cantonese

• A dried fish that is preserved in salt (carried down from many centuries of tradition and food preparation)
• It is a fish that is treated with a salt solution or dry salt and then left in the sun to dry
• Chinese-styled dried fish is usually softened by partial decomposition before or during salting
• The fish comes available as you see it (see above picture) or in western super markets, is prepackaged
• Salted dried fish is commonly used in many Chinese dishes and stews
• It actually tastes very salty and the texture is quite dense, but not too hard

How do I prepare it?

• Rinse in warm water before soup usage
• Cut off required portion only (as it is really quite salty) – usually a quarter is sufficient

Where can I buy this?

• Commonly available in all wet marts in Asia (Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and South East Asian countries)
• You can even purchase this in some western supermarkets that stock Asian food

What is the cost?

• This is not an expensive ingredient and the price varies depending on size and packaging

Any benefits?

• Adds a lot of extra salt “punch” without adding other additives
• Minimal preparation is needed
• Low in fats

Any precautions?

• This type of dried salted food is extremely high in salt content and consumption should be moderated
• Some types of Chinese salted dried fish are high in carcinogenics (cancer causing agents)
• I would take extra caution with serving this to children if possible (once in a blue moon is OK, but why take the risk?)

Additional Information

• Store in a dry and cool place in a tightly sealed container
• Can store in the fridge for up to 3 months