Magnificent Guilin — The Duckbill Fish as the Star of the Show

Guilin, in Chinese, means “a grove of osmanthus.” The osmanthus is, therefore, in every way representative of Guilin. From the way that osmanthus trees wave fragrance in their native habitat, to the way that its tiny yellow flowers perfume in coffee, the osmanthus stands tall in all things Guilin, in its nature, its craftsmanship and its food.

Our driver Xiaohuang came to the train station to greet us. On a 20-minute journey between the train station and our hotel, we gathered some first impressions of Guilin City. Despite its good name in offering the most beautiful scenery, Guilin City is very much a third-tier city. The buildings are old, but they did not age so gracefully. The city seemed to be a case of high hopes dashed. It appeared tired from development, or overdevelopment, that has fallen short of the expectation. The streets were not exactly clean, and certainly not calm. It had a vibe in every way reminiscent of the China I knew about 25 years ago, when chaos seemed to rule a regular day in the city.

Arrival in the Elephant Trunk Hill Hotel

The Elephant Trunk Hill Hotel was the choice for our stay in Guilin city because of its location. It is just a five-minute walk from the Elephant Trunk Hill, which is namely the most famous scenic spot in Guilin.

As a hotel in the medium price range, it offers very spacious and clean rooms. The only issue we had was a flight of stairs to climb before entering the lobby, as we have the elderly with us. There was simply no option for an elevator.

The Duckbill Fish as the Star of the Show for Our First Meal in Guilin

In Guangxi, the beer fish is a local specialty offered to tourists and locals alike. In the big cities, beer fish is commonplace as the go-to hotpot meal. According to our driver Xiaohuang, every city has its own way of making the beer fish. I have had beer fish in Yangshuo during my last trip to Guilin. As it turned out, I had beer fish in Guilin City and Yangshuo in this trip as well. True to Xiaohuang’s word, every restaurant has a different interpretation of what this dish entails. It can range from near-horrible to just fantastic.

Well, in our first meal in Guilin, we had a beer fish pot. The star of the show was the duckbill fish, known scientifically as the sturgeon. This was a near-horrible beer fish for us.

Perhaps this odd fish was considered something of a novelty to tourists. Surely, it was a novelty for us. If you look at its appearance, you would not think that this type of a fish would be edible. It looked like a duck that had grown up wrongly, or a platypus that grew fin and fishtail. Without seeing the body, you would think it really was a duck’s head—although its elongated snout is perhaps a bit longer than a regular duck’s bill.

After we ordered, we were taken to the fish tank to witness the selection of the duckbill fish that would end up at our dining table. My aunt had a lot of fun playing with it, but it all went downhill from there.

First of all, this duckbill fish did not taste fresh even though it was purportedly slaughtered before being cooked. It had to do with the way that the fish was cooked. It was coasted in a thick layer of flour, deep fried, before serving with the sauce in a hot pot. This way of preparation was sure to overwhelm the natural flavors of the fish.

As a fish without scales, the duckbill fish is naturally on the fatty side. It was surely quite meaty, but we did not find it to taste particularly good as a freshwater catch. Apparently, the duckbill fish is native in the United States. China successfully introduced this species in its waters and they are in good numbers now, though it was once in the protected category.

Secondly, we were charged by the weight of the fish. It only makes sense that the duck bill, which was not edible, made up a large part of the price that we paid. No, the duck bill was not served at the table either. Its significance lied only in the fish being alive as an odd looking creature.

Perhaps this first restaurant was the very worst of all that Xiaohuang recommended. He told us that we should have ordered a set meal, but we ordered the dishes separately, and it was certainly expensive. The other dishes were no good as well.

I went to bed somewhat dissatisfied, but China has an abundance of good food to offer. This first meal in Guilin might have been the very worst we had throughout this trip. I was, however, too excited about the Longji terraced fields the next day to worry about the food.

Source

iNEWS, A Duck-billed sturgeon with a duck’s bill and the same eating habits as silver carp.