When eating in Nantong, I often hear people talk about the "Four Freshes of the Yangtze River." Among these, the pufferfish naturally takes the lead, followed by the knife fish, shad, and black fish. Located at the confluence of the river and sea, Nantong's selection of the "Four Freshes" can be more accurately described as the four freshes of the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, or even the four freshes of the Yangtze River estuary. These are all species that travel between the river and the sea, between freshwater and saltwater, and are hard to find elsewhere. This makes them even more representative of the region.
For example, the shad, "normally lives in the sea, but every year only enters the Yangtze River in early summer to spawn in freshwater. Its range rarely extends beyond Nanjing, and it is rarely seen further upstream. Eating shad is thus limited to May and June." (Zhu Wei) Nantong is fortunate to be located on the necessary migration route for fish like the shad; being at the end of the river seems to offer better culinary luck than being at the source. Even residents of Wuhan, in the midstream, cannot enjoy shad and must settle for Wuchang fish. Although Wuchang fish is quite famous, its taste still does not compare with that of the shad. The pufferfish among the "Four Freshes of the Yangtze River" was praised by Su Dongpo as early as the Song Dynasty: "Beyond the bamboo, a few peach blossoms bloom, the ducks know first that the spring river water is warm. Ground covered with mugwort and short reed shoots, it is precisely the time when the pufferfish wants to ascend." Thanks to this poem, the pufferfish became famous overnight; I even think that the popularity of Nanjing salted duck might have benefited from Su Dongpo's auspicious words ("the ducks know first"). Moreover, there is a saying in folk culture, "risk death to eat pufferfish," which elevates the meaning of pufferfish almost above life itself. Neither the Wuchang fish of the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River can compare with this.
Like the shad, the pufferfish also grows along the coast and returns to the Yangtze River after the Beginning of Spring each year. However, "those in the sea are highly toxic, those in the river are less so," which is why people consume more pufferfish from the Yangtze River. Even so, there have been numerous "fatal cases" throughout history. This is not due to the toxicity of the pufferfish, but rather our own greed. The pufferfish tempts us to the point of "though nine times we die, we would not regret it."