Many famous Chinese dishes have stories attached to them that are as enter-taining to diners as the dishes themselves are satisfying to the taste buds. Most of the stories involve noted figures in Chinese history.

Wuliu Fish or Five-Willow-leaf Fish is a popular traditional dish in South China’s Sichuan Province. It is said to have been invented by Du Fu,a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty. That was in 760 when chaos overran the country and life was terribly hard. One day, an old friend came to pay him a visit. Du Fu was delighted as it had been a long time since they had last seen each other. But he was also worried that he could not afford a decent meal for his friend. By coincidence, a member of his family brought home a big carp caught in a nearby stream. Du Fu was overjoyed.He went to the kitchen and cooked the fish himself. At dinner,his friend was amazed by the delicious fish. He asked Du Fu what the dish was called. Du Fu examined the fish carefully and noticed the colorful lines running along its back. They looked like willow leaves, which gave him an idea for its name. “How about calling it Wuliu Fish?” His friend thought the name was very appropriate. Wuliu means five willow leaves. Later, When Du Fu became famous, the dish became popular in china.

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