Uncharted territory, here, folks. I got this Eagle Coin Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans at a recent trip to an Asian market. I had seen some online reviews, and was intrigued. Apparently, I had either not watched those reviews closely enough, or I had forgotten what I had seen. Here's my cautionary tale.
Initial impression upon opening the can: OMG, what have I gotten myself into?
Click and enlarge that image of the open can if you dare. Wow, I did not remember this "presentation" at all. It all looks kind of over-fried and dried out. There are some fins, and a tail. Also a few black beans. There's an aroma of whatever the beans are seasoned with, I suppose. It's fragrant in a way I can't really describe, which is concerning.
Here We Go
Uneasily, I peeled back the top layer of fish to reveal this. And I'm not kidding, I was just reading a social media post about the Emerson, Lake and Palmer album cover with the HR Giger artwork. You know, the guy who designed the creature in the movie "Alien".
Initially, I had big ambitions of serving this over sticky rice with perhaps some gohan desuyo or taberu rayu. Maybe that seems like some Asian culinary mis-fusion, but I had to be ready for the worst.
I pulled all the fish parts out into a bowl. There were a lot of black beans underneath. I tried them, and to my taste, it was salt and umami overkill.
I continued by separating out all the fish parts that I had decided I definitely was not going to eat into a pile. Fins, tail, spines. What remained were some filets(?) with a few soft pin bones left in them.
It Gets Worse
I can only describe what I did eat as a grease-soaked fish jerky. So tough it was, I had to tear it apart with my fingers. Admittedly, I knew going in that dace is another word for a carp. A trash fish, unless it's a colorful koi, an ornamental pond fish which you don't eat.
I continued in fits and starts until, after about three tries, I just gave up. Blame my unsophisticated Western sensibilities if you will, but I just couldn't go on. Then, I tried some more of the black beans alone, but it was too late. I threw in the proverbial towel. I need to go wash this smell off my fingers now.
So, the rest of lunch consisted of my bowl of sticky rice, augmented with some gohan desuyo, the kind with shiitake mushroom, and a bit of taberu rayu chili crisp. I'll reward myself later with a snack of something I know I'll like.
Main Takeaways
- Visually "arresting"
- Chewy and greasy
- I should have paid closer attention to reviews already seen
Brand: Eagle Coin
Description: Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans
Species: Cirrhinus sp.
Country of Origin: China
Source: FAO NS
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 6.5 oz.
Price Range: $3-4