A whole mandarin fish, boned, scored deep and fried so the flesh fans out in spikes, then covered in a bright sweet-and-sour sauce.
What makes it squirrel-shaped mandarin fish
A whole fish, boned from the tail but left joined at the head, scored in a close diamond.
Dusted with starch and fried until the cuts open and crisp.
A glossy sweet-sour sauce, poured on at the table so it sizzles.
Where it comes from
It's Suzhou's showpiece, usually traced to the Qing dynasty; one story has the Qianlong emperor eating it on a tour of the south. The name is for the look: the head raised, the tail curled up and the scored flesh standing up like fur, and some say the sauce hisses like a squirrel as it's poured on.
How it varies
With other fish
Sea bass or carp where mandarin fish is hard to find.