A small whole freshwater fish, scaled, gutted and gilled before packing, so it goes from the box to the pan with nothing but a rinse and a pat dry. Mild, firm white flesh with a short bone structure.

What It Is

The whole body of Oreochromis niloticus, roughly 500 to 650 g per fish, head on and tail on. Skin left intact, viscera, gills and scales removed. Flesh is snow white and holds its shape when braised.

Where It Comes From

Raised in managed freshwater ponds in southern China, harvested to size and cleaned at the packing station within hours. Each fish is vacuum sealed and frozen hard before it leaves the plant.

Specifications

• Form: Whole, cleaned, head on, vacuum packed
• Size: 500–650 g per fish, 3 to 4 fish per box
• Net weight: 2 kg per box
• Packaging: Vacuum sealed, then boxed in a liner

State

Raw and frozen at −18 °C or colder. The vacuum bag keeps the skin from drying out in the freezer.

Storage & Shelf Life

• Frozen: up to 12 months at −18 °C
• Thawed: 0–4 °C, cook within 24 hours
• Thawing: overnight in the refrigerator, bag opened
• Do not refreeze once fully thawed

Shelf Life & Delivery

Best before date is printed on the vacuum bag and counted from the packing date. Shipped on a cold chain with gel ice in an insulated liner; freeze on arrival and check the bag is still tight and the skin unbroken.

How to Cook

• Score both flanks, rub with salt, and steam with ginger and spring onion for 8 to 10 minutes
• Fry in a hot pan until the skin is crisp, then finish with soy, garlic and a splash of stock
• Simmer whole in a light tomato and tamarind broth for a sour fish soup
• Cut into thick steaks and deep-fry until the edges turn gold

Allergens

Contains fish. Packed in a facility that also handles shellfish and molluscs. Sold as food only, with no health or medical claims.