This is a squirrel fish.
My first day at the CWEF Office (also my third day in China), my co-workers took me out to lunch at a nearby Muslim restaurant. As I sat nervously at the table, the waitress plopped down a plate directly in front of me. I looked down and saw a pair of fish eyes staring right at me. Startled, I let out a soft gasp, completely shocked that a restaurant would serve a fish head on the plate. Tears welled-up in my eyes as I realized for the first time just how different life is in China. For some reason, this fish embodied the culture shock I was experiencing. And as a way of silent protest, I vowed not to eat the fish.
A few months later when I was better adjusted to life in China, I put our differences aside and tried the squirrel fish. It was absolutely delicious! The fish has very few bones and is coated in sweet and sour sauce. It's also easy to eat because you just use your chopsticks to tear the pieces away. Granted, it pales in comparison to Roger Kammeyer's crappies or Grandma Hazel's catfish, but it is a fair substitute while I'm in China : )
Yummy! : )
