How to cook yellow croaker? Let's check out the "brilliant ideas" of these elite chefs.

How many different flavors can be made from a yellow croaker?

At the 2025 Taizhou National Invitational Culinary Competition,

33 top-tier culinary teams from Hong Kong and five provinces—Hainan,

Jiangxi, Fujian, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang—put in tremendous effort,

showcasing their creativity and skills.

Let’s take a look at some of the dishes presented by the participating teams.

The dish we bring is Yellow Croaker Tofu Pudding. After six months of research and development, we simmer yellow croaker into a broth and solidify it using modern techniques to create a tofu pudding texture that melts in the mouth. The goal is to let diners “enjoy the taste of fish without seeing the fish.”

—Zheng Weili, Head Chef of Shun Ji·Pu Jiang Hui

The dish we bring is Yellow Croaker Lion’s Head(Fish Ball). We remove the head and tail of the fish, extract the pure meat, and blend it into a fish paste. Then, we hand-shape it into fish balls. This dish is highly favored by local diners at our restaurant.

—Ren Xiaoji, Head Chef of Long Yan·Xin Tai Cai

The dish we bring is Braised Yellow Croaker with Clay Pot Rice. This dish carries the deep sentiment of coastal fishermen. We use two yellow croakers—one is simmered into a broth that blends into the rice, while the other is placed directly on top. The aroma of rice and fish intertwine, making it even more enticing.

—Ding Haidong, Head Chef of Lin Jia Yi Culinary Institute

The dish we bring is Crispy Yellow Croaker with Taro Paste. This dish combines traditional and modern elements. Crispy taro paste is a traditional dish originally filled with pork. Now, we replace the pork with yellow croaker meat, making the texture even richer.

—Mak Wing On, Executive Chef of Hong Kong Gang Feng Lou

The dish we bring is Stewed Yellow Croaker with Cabbage. This is a traditional dish from Fujian. The challenge lies in mastering the techniques of Fujian cuisine to highlight the natural freshness of Dachen yellow croaker to the fullest. After multiple adjustments, we achieved an excellent taste.

—Hu Zeliang, Executive Chef of Quanzhou Honor International Hotel

The dish we bring is Low-Temperature Yellow Croaker with Rice Cake. We take the yellow croaker fillet, marinate it, and wrap it with fish skin into the shape of a coin. Then, we cook it slowly at a low temperature, creating a unique presentation and texture.

—Chen Qiande, Culinary Instructor at Linhai Technical School

Translator：Jiayang Lin