"Is there a real squirrel inside the fish?" That's the first question Chen Ye's foreign friends ask when she introduces them to sweet and sour squirrel fish at the dinner table.

Chen, who works at a foreign bank in Shanghai, laughs every time. But the confusion never stops her from ordering the dish. In fact, it's her go-to trump card when hosting international friends.

"No matter how many dishes we have, squirrel fish is always the first to be finished," she says. "Many people even order a second serving. And what shocks me most? They eat the head and tail down to the bones — something we Chinese usually skip."

As one of the top 10 classic dishes of Jiangsu province and the signature icon of Suzhou-style cuisine, squirrel fish stands as one of the most recognizable presences in Chinese gastronomy.

The magic of squirrel fish is in its appearance the moment it arrives at the table. The head and tail of the delicately fried mandarin fish sit upright on the plate, while in between, its flesh is splayed into fluffy, golden layers that resemble the bushiness of a squirrel's tail. The most spectacular ritual comes when the piping hot sweet-sour sauce is poured over it — the fish sizzles with a crisp, chirping sound, just like an actual squirrel's call.

And the taste? Pure delight: a brittle, golden crust gives way to tender, juicy meat, perfectly balanced between sweet and sour, with layers of texture that linger long after each bite.

Astrid Poghosyan, an Armenian musician working for the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, also frequently takes her international friends to try the dish.

"When foreigners think about Chinese cuisine, the first thing that comes to their mind is that sweet and sour taste," she said.

"To many foreigners, the taste of squirrel fish kind of represents Chinese cuisine."

Jin Hongnan, president of the Suzhou Culinary Association, has spent over three decades perfecting Suzhou-style cuisine. He's also the founder of Jiangnan Delicacy, a Black Pearl restaurant chain with 30 outlets in Suzhou.

In 2025, he opened a branch in San Francisco.

There, the squirrel fish dish sells for nearly 1,000 yuan ($140) — but more than half of all diners order it.

"Kids love it the most," Jin said.

Beyond the taste, the dish carries a culturally rich story. Legend has it that, during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Emperor Qianlong visited Suzhou incognito and dined at Songhelou restaurant. The chef prepared this special fish, and the emperor was so delighted with his meal that the dish became famous across the country. Today, it's still a must-order at many eateries in Suzhou.

The sauce itself, however, has evolved.

Jin explained that the original recipe used vinegar, soy sauce and sugar. But, in the early 20th century, as Western-style restaurants became popular in Shanghai, ketchup was introduced into the sauce — a fusion that made the flavor more mellow and appealing to foreign palates.

But the real star of the dish is the knife work. First, the fish must be completely deboned. Then the flesh is scored in a crisscross pattern, carefully cut without breaking the skin — allowing it to fan out like a squirrel's bushy tail during frying.

At Jin's restaurants, each fish, weighing about 1 kilogram, receives exactly 108 cuts.

Only a highly skilled chef can handle such precision.

Because the dish demands such advanced knife skills, it is rarely made at home and when it is, it is typically reserved for family banquets.

Nowadays, it is a common sight on New Year's Eve dinner tables in hotels and restaurants, said Jin.

In Suzhou, Songhelou remains the top destination for authentic squirrel fish — after all, it was there that the Emperor Qianlong first tasted it.

Last year, the brand opened a branch in London, swapping the traditional mandarin fish for local sea bass — yet the dish still received an overwhelmingly warm reception from the city's cosmopolitan diners.

As the years go by, Chinese chefs continue to adapt the dish, using different fish, tweaking the sauce and adding unique twists.

Today, squirrel fish has earned international fame. It appears on menus in Chinese restaurants globally, celebrated for its stunning presentation and unforgettable flavor.