Beer Fish
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Beer Fish
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Beer Fish (Simplified Chinese: 啤酒鱼; Traditional Chinese: 啤酒魚; Pinyin: Pí jiǔ yú; usually Yangshuo Beer Fish / 阳朔啤酒鱼) is the best-known local dish of Yangshuo in Guangxi, near Guilin. A fresh river fish—classically a Li River carp, though grass carp and other species are common—is split, pan-fried with its scales left on until they crisp and curl, then braised in beer with tomato, green and red peppers, garlic, ginger and soy. It is usually brought to the table in a shallow pan kept warm over a burner. The dish is a fixture of Yangshuo's West Street tourist dining scene. Origin accounts differ: Guilin local press credits a 1990s Yangshuo food-stall cook with adding beer to an older braised Li River fish, while another story credits boatmen who topped up a drying fish pot with beer; both should be treated as soft, local origin stories. Beer Fish is not Beer Duck and not Sichuan Boiled Fish.[1][2]
Characteristics
Crisp, edible scales and browned skin; tender flesh; a tangy-savory, lightly malty sauce with tomato sweetness and chili heat; good with rice spooned into the pan juices.
Ingredients (overview)
Whole river fish (carp, grass carp or similar); local lager; tomato; green and red chilies; garlic, ginger, scallion; soy sauce; oil (camellia or peanut in many descriptions). Overview only—not a recipe.
History and culture
Became famous from the 1990s alongside Yangshuo's growth as a backpacker and tour-bus destination; local writing reports a 2002 national cooking-contest award that helped spread its reputation beyond Guangxi. Guilin's local press names individual restaurateurs connected with the dish; those claims are best read as local history rather than exclusive invention. English menus say "beer fish," "Yangshuo beer fish" or "Li River beer fish."[3][1]
Serving and variations
Tabletop pan main shared with rice and local vegetables. See Guilin Rice Noodles, Grilled Fish, Sweet and Sour Carp and Beer Duck.