Fish Head Soup

I have always loved fish. I was the only kid in my family who would order fish at restaurants, and would gladly eat the fish sticks from the cafeteria at school (although there might be some question to the nature of the "fish" in those sticks.) Furthermore, every summer I would go fishing in the Sierra Mountains. So I thought I was fairly familiar with the concept of catching fish with the intention of eating it.

When I came across this fish head soup, however, I was introduced to an entirely different meaning of eating fish for dinner. Fish head soup is a Chinese dish, made with oil, rice wine or sake, ginger, green onions, pickled Sichuan mustard greens, bean thread noodles, and of course, fish heads. Croaker or salmon are the typical choice of fish. Fish heads are known for the texture of the cartilage, which is described as being both crisp and soft. Whereas poultry cartilage is often bland, fish cartilage is considered very flavorful and tender. The eyeball is the greatest treat of the fish head, described as having a fatty flavor and spongy texture. Fish head soup is meant to be consumed slowly, providing time to savor the flavor and texture.

While fish head soup is savored by some, it can be seen as "bizarre" to many. I was a bit taken aback when it tried to imagine an entire fish head in my soup bowl, eyeball included. I believe many Americans would consider this soup bizarre because of the inclusion of the eyeball, fish scales, and cartilage. We tend to eat only the meat or the body of not only fish, but of poultry and beef, as well. While the eyeball and cartilage are very flavorful, I think the mixture of textures is not something we are initially drawn to. Not to mention just the idea of eating eyeballs, or heads for that matter, has a certain stigma attached to it. For many, eating eyeballs is probably just as scary as it might be unappetizing.

On one of my fishing trips as a kid, I met a lady who ate fish eyeballs. She tried to convince me to try them, saying they were the most flavorful part of the fish, but I always refused. However, it sounds like she might have been on to something. :)