Ferocious favorite

It is a fish that is easy to cook.

The most common way is to shallow fry it to a crisp, so that the thin edges can be crunched up while the flesh inside remains sweet and tender.

The fried fish can be processed one more step, by braising in a savory brown sauce that varies in different regions. Sometimes, Welsh onions or scallions are added and the fish and herbs become a topping for noodles.

In the northern regions, they like to douse the fried hairtail with an appetite-whetting brown vinegar and sugar gravy, which also helps repel any lingering pungency.

The fish is often red-cooked until tender, with plenty of thinly sliced brown onions and shredded ginger. It can also be cooked with tangy tomatoes.

The Chinese appreciate this fish for its high fat content, and it is believed that it's a food that can reduce cholesterol. There is also something in its silver coating that some believe is anti-carcinogenic.

There is no doubt, however, that it is a nutritious fish that is easily available and affordable.