Something Fishy Something fishy is going on in Hong Kong. I have been reading that HK consumers have stopped buying one of my favorite foods--鳗 魚 maan6 yu2 or 鱔 sin6 (eels). How come? HK health authorities have been checking eels brought in from Mainland China and have found traces of 孔 雀 石 綠 hung2 jeuk3 sek6 luk6 (malachite green), a suspected carcinogen used as an industrial dye and a fungicide in aquaculture. It seems that the health authorities and the eel vendors have been playing a cat and mouse game. While the health authorities check into the problem, the government has barred the import of eels from Mainland China and pressured eel vendors to destroy any questionable eels. The eel vendors, being sharp business owners, want the government to order a recall, so the eel vendors will receive compensation for any eels that have to be destroyed. Some vendors have even increased their prices, hoping to get more compensation in the event a recall is ordered. In the meantime, it seems that HK consumers are voting with their pocketbook--they have stopped buying eels.

The first time that I tried eel was in a wonderful restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan called 山 西 餐 聽 Shanxi Restaurant. Ever since then, I have loved eel. Here in the Bay Area, I occasionally order 韮 黃 炒 白 鳝 (white eel stir-fried with yellow chives) or 韮 黃 炒 黃 鳝 (yellow eel stir-fried with yellow chives). I hope that the eel problem is straightened out by the time I arrive in HK next year. It would be a shame to miss out on one of my favorites. That's what happened to me last year in Macau. I wanted to try a Macanese duck dish called 血 鴨 hyut3 ngaap3 (blood duck) but couldn't get it at the restaurant because of an avian flu scare.  ¶ 9:00 PM