Wuhu's fermented fish tradition — locally called 腌鱼 (yān yú) — is rooted in the old practice of preserving Yangtze catch in salt-and-spice crocks during the times when the river yielded more fish than could be consumed fresh. The result is a strongly flavored preserved fish that is typically steamed or pan-fried and served alongside rice. The flavor is assertive: pungent, salty, with a fermented complexity that Hunanese visitors sometimes compare to their own preserved foods but Wuhu residents insist is entirely different.
This is genuinely local food in the sense that it has not traveled to Chinese restaurant menus elsewhere and requires a certain commitment to try. The best approach is to order it at a local restaurant that serves Anhui home cooking — the kind of small place without an English menu that has pictures on the wall and a laminated menu with photographs. Ask for the steamed version (清蒸) for the cleanest expression of the flavor. It is an acquired taste that many visitors do not acquire, but the effort is part of the point.