This dish was named after the most beautiful and famous lake in China, West Lake (西湖). But what makes this dish famous is not just because of its name.

Before the fish is cooked, it has to stay hungry in clean water for one or two days. So that the smell of mud in the fish can be got rid of. Cooking of the fish is simply putting it in boiling water for about 3 minutes. Then all that needs to be done is to pour the sauce onto the fish. The sauce was made up of the water used to cook the fish, vinegar, sugar, rice wine, soy sauce, etc. The simple cooking method pretty much shows the essence of Zhe Jiang cuisine - maintaining the freshness as much as possible.