Steamed Fish

Flavor: Mild and Gingery — Meal: Almost in Advance, Steamed

In Szechwan, fish were steamed as a special treat for the very young and the very old, those pampered children and honored elders whose palates occasionally needed a respite from the fiery everyday fare. Only the freshest of fish got such a treatment. Mrs. Chiang’s mother knew how to use spices to disguise the flavor of a fish that had passed its prime, but she used very little seasoning when she wanted to