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Fried dace with salted black beans is a canned food available around the world wherever there are Asians. It is popular among Asians as it is a classical dish which was passed down from generation to generation. Cirrhinus molitorella (dace) is a fish from the Pearl River in China ‘Dace’ is a trade name of Cirrhinus molitorella while black beans are called “dau si” or “douchi” in Guangzhou and Hong Kong respectively. Fried dace with salted black beans is made by combining dace with salted black beans and preserving it in oil afterwards. During different periods of time, fried dace with salted black beans played a different role. No matter what, it is always a collective memory within the Hong Kong community.

History
Fried dace with salted black beans is originated from Guangzhou in China. In the past, many Chinese from the Pearl River Delta region needed to go to Southeast Asia for work. They would fry the dace, preserve it with salted black beans and bring it with them because they were not used to eating foreign food. This tradition gradually transformed into a canned food business. The first canned fried dace with salted black beans was produced by Guangzhou Guangmaoxiang Canned Food Factory in China in 1893. This factory was evolved from “广奇香罐头厂” (the Guang Qi Xiang Guan Tou Factory), which was registered in 1912 in Hong Kong. In 2005, the Hong Kong Food and Environmental Hygiene Department tested 26 samples of food, in which some of the samples of the canned fried dace with salted black beans were tested positive for malachite green, a carcinogenic chemical.

Ingredients and Taste
There are seven essential ingredients in the canned product; namely fresh dace, salted black beans, vegetable oil, sugar, soybean sauce, salt and spices. The dace, preserved in vegetable oil, has a chewy texture with soft, edible, bones inside. It tastes well-seasoned with black beans and flavored with savory spices.

Common Eating Habits
Fried dace with salted black beans can be eaten cold straight out of the can or heated before being served. Other classical ways are eating with stir fried green vegetables, noodles or plain white rice. In addition, it is usually served with stir-fried Indian Lettuce.

Style of Packaging
The packaging of canned fried dace with salted black beans is simple and general. The containers are oval shaped. (see the photograph below)

Target Customers
Fried dace with salted black beans has always been popular among the lower and middle income group. In the 1990s, the low income households had to squeeze their expenditure on food. They could afford buying fried dace with salted black beans. Furthermore, the middle income group would also use it during emergencies (e.g. when strong typhoon signals are in force or during tropical rainstorm which prevent people from going out to eat). Nowadays, the price range of fried dace with salted black beans is approximately from HK$14 to HK$21 (by observing one of the biggest supermarkets in Hong Kong), which is relatively affordable. Thus, fried dace with salted black beans has been a common dish among lower and middle class before and is still considered as one occasionally. Even though people can afford to buy more nutritious food instead of menial canned foods after the economic boom in 1970s, people from different financial background will also consume this kind of canned food due to its convenience and cheap price

Comparison Between The Past and The Present
Around the 1960s, people in Hong Kong did not have a good living environment and family circumstances. They had low income and low purchasing power. Due to the low price, and the strong taste which can serve with rice without consuming other cuisines and long shelf life, canned fried dace with salted black beans became a very common food they had for meals. Sometimes, it would be cooked at home, which added warmth and nostalgic value to this dish. Fried dace with salted black beans was the collective memory for many people in Hong Kong.

However, people consumed less inferior food like fried dace with salted black beans nowadays. There are some reasons behind. Firstly, after the economic takeoff in 1970s, the economic ability and social status of people in Hong Kong had improved. The rise in income and purchasing power had exposed them to more choice of food. Secondly, people in Hong Kong started to have higher education level. They would then take nutritional values of food into consideration when deciding what to eat. As many researches show that canned food lacks nutritional value because of the artificial processing, people consume less fried dace with salted black beans. Moreover, they would store a few cans at home for rainy days. On the other hand, fried dace with salted black beans became widely commercialized. It is mass produced by different food companies and sold as a product on the shelf in supermarkets. It is now usually purchased in cans instead of being cooked at home because of efficiency and convenience.

Phenomenon Review From Business of fried dace with salted black beans

 * Increase in people’s purchasing power and education level
 * Commercialization of food
 * Higher awareness on quality of life