In the chill of early spring, the river's ice began to melt.
Residents washed their hands in the river water, praying for peace and giving thanks to the mother river, also marking the end of the fishing ban, allowing fishermen to venture into the river to fish.
At this time, all sizes of cold water fish in the Three Rivers, having endured a winter of hunger and cold, had thoroughly expelled waste from their bodies. Their meat was tight, not fatty nor loose, remarkably fresh. As the river opened, they "emerged one after another," collectively known as "River Opening Fish."
"Three Flowers, Five Luo, Eighteen Sons, Seventy-Two Miscellaneous Fish" are all renowned river fish.
However, the authentic Kaijiang Banquet has fixed dishes for each table, and the methods of cooking river fish are all highly significant.
These dishes reflect the local characteristics of Bei'an, while better bringing out the fresh taste of the river fish.
