Eating Fishballs in Hong Kong
[This article was originally published in the International food magazine Zomppa before appearing in Cosmopolitan Currymania.]
Each passing day, I am learning more and more about the food culture in Hong Kong. Since I am learning basic Cantonese now, I can communicate more comfortably with the local fish mongers in the seafood markets in Hong Kong. For instance, I recently learnt from an old Chinese lady that garoupa or lung den fish and cuttlefish are the best for making Asian fishballs. Congee tastes awesome with a special kind of fish, called nai mang, and sha koon fish is one of the preferred ones for clear fish soups!
Carp (lei) is a very popular fish in Hong Kong and the localites buy these in plenty also because the word “lei” also means abundance: so they believe that eating these would bring prosperity in their lives.
Another localite suggested that one must try stewed and minced pork balls with brown sauce, traditionally cooked in a clay pot. There is a fancy name for this dish: “lion head” balls! These are cooked with Shanghai pak choi (bok choi) to create a flavour that lingers! Fuzhou fishballs are worth a mention here: made with eel on the exterior and a juicy pork meatball inside, it is a culinary experience in its own right!
Undoubtedly, fishballs and meatballs are very popular in Hong Kong. There are a number of variations found here. The meatballs, usually beef balls, are brownish balls in which minced meat is pounded together with other ingredients to produce balls which taste awesome in soups, noodles and stir-fries. Fishballs are among the most popular street foods in Hong Kong! These differ in colour, texture and shape. Even fish blocks are available here, which are often sold fried. Interesting variations in fishballs include lobster balls, cuttlefish balls, octopus balls, fish siu mai, etc. There are interesting colour variations too. The most interesting ones include those with alternate coloured and white stripes!
The beef ball soups sometimes carry a piece of fish maw in the centre, along with shark’s fin. There are also ready-to-eat curried fishball packs available here, which just need to be warmed and can be had with rice. A pack of fish or meatballs is quite reasonably priced, more so if you buy from local vendors in Hong Kong wet markets. Moreover, there are those sold at local fishball stalls as street food, in which the fishballs are either fried or smeared with a sauce and served stacked on bamboo skewers. The fishballs and meatballs also find their ways in traditional “hot pot” soups.
Eating Fishballs in Hong Kong
Ingredients:
- Asian cuttlefish balls: 12
- Asian lobster balls: 12
- Pak choi (or any other Chinese green vegetable): handful
- Chinese brown mushrooms (chopped): 10
- Broccoli florets: 8–10
- Chopped spring onion greens: ¼ cup
- Carrots (chopped): ½
- Finely chopped garlic: 4 tbsp
- Chinese onion (roughly chopped): ½ cup
- Fish sauce (nam pla): 3 tbsp
- Chicken broth: 7 cups
- Warm water: 1 cup
- Chicken powder: 1 tbsp
- Mung bean sprouts: handful
- Salt: according to taste
- Crisp-fried garlic (store-bought): for garnishing
- Boiled and drained flat rice noodles (to be boiled with little salt and oil)
- Sesame oil: 1.5 tbsp
- Boneless chicken cubes (marinated in 1 tbsp dark soy sauce): 1 cup
Method:
Heat the pan and add the sesame oil. When the oil smokes, add the onion and sauté for 2 min. Add the garlic and sauté again for 1 min.
Now add the chicken and sauté till the chicken is almost cooked. Add the first seven ingredients and sauté for five more minutes.
Now add the chicken broth, chicken powder mixed in warm water and the fish sauce. Let this simmer for 25 min. Add the salt now, if required.
To serve, add some noodles to a serving bowl and spoon some soup over it. Garnish with a little mung sprouts, chopped spring onion greens and fried garlic. Serve immediately.
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December 28, 2011 @ 2:45 pm
Fish balls look amazingly delicious and fulfilling.
Deepa
Hamaree Rasoi
December 28, 2011 @ 6:14 pm
Bravo to you for making the effort to learn Cantonese, I am sure it will pay off four fold. The asian food culture I am sure is full of wondrous things, but I am glad you focused on these delicious fish balls. After reading this I believe not having access to fresh fish can be very limiting, I do need to at least visit the coast for some seafood. Thanks for presenting some delicious Hong Kong cuisine!
December 28, 2011 @ 7:15 pm
Fishballs are quite popular in Sweden, where I am on vacation right now, too. I have to say I’m not the biggest fan, though I love all the other things inside the soup. It’s amazing what something like cutting carrots decoratively can do too… it really transforms the dish!
December 28, 2011 @ 10:15 pm
i ate this growing up! we used to put it in a soup called udon! deliciousness! 🙂 have a wonderful holiday 🙂
December 28, 2011 @ 11:22 pm
Congratulations on learning another language, Purabi! It must be fun and exciting to deal with food vendors in the marketplaces like you mentioned — such a vibrant, flavorful culture and so much to learn. Those lobster balls — fish balls — meatballs — all sound marvelous!
Hot Pot Soup has been on my mind since it’s gotten colder. Another fascinating post!
December 28, 2011 @ 11:34 pm
I always have a few packet of fish or meat balls in my freezer, they are so handy and tasty, too.
December 29, 2011 @ 5:44 am
Fish balls look amazing.
December 29, 2011 @ 6:42 am
Oh, Purabi this is amazing! While I’m allergic to fish and can’t indulge, I sure wish I could! How interesting that there is such a VARIETY! Learning cantonese will certainly pay off and it sounds like you are having a wonderful time exploring the culinary culture of Hong Kong!
Stunning recipe, photos and writing ~ as always!
December 29, 2011 @ 1:42 pm
What an yummy looking dish. I love fish… this would be my kind of dish (ha!ha! that rhymes). 🙂 Wishing you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!
~Ramona
December 30, 2011 @ 3:56 am
Wow, what a round-up of the different types of balls! Been really busy but just wanna drop by to wish u Merry Xmas & Happy 2012!
With love from Singapore,
Shirley’s Luxury Haven
December 30, 2011 @ 5:09 am
Oh my! Look at all that variety! I love fish and this looks absolutely Delicious!
December 30, 2011 @ 5:56 am
Purabi, this is totally new to me…I wish I could get these here too..u have presented it so beautifully that I am tempted to try it :)..Thanks a bunch for the new year wishes and for the lovely thought…Wishing u all a wonderful, happy, and prosperous new year.
December 30, 2011 @ 8:18 am
i love that.
December 30, 2011 @ 8:58 am
Absolutely mouth watering, yummy and tempting dish. I appreciate for your wonderful step by step presentation.
December 30, 2011 @ 12:08 pm
Thanks for introducing us to these fabulous balls and your noodle looks so flavorful and healthy too. Happy and Prosperous New Year my friend!
December 30, 2011 @ 3:32 pm
Oh, your bowl of soup looks amazing!!! And I’m now craving fishballs (which I’ve never eaten) AND meatballs 🙂 Happy New Year!!!
December 30, 2011 @ 8:26 pm
Look at all those seafood balls/blocks! You really are spoilt for choice over there. Your fishball soup looks totally delicious… Hope you’ll have a fab New Year ahead!
December 31, 2011 @ 12:00 am
Tantalizingly delicious fishballs and meatballs.
I really loved reading this post as it was so interesting.
Thank You and we wish you and your family a happy New Year.
December 31, 2011 @ 5:56 am
Wishing you and your family a very Happy New Year..may all your good wishes come true..happy holidays.. how are you, i am doing fone..
December 31, 2011 @ 6:35 am
I love fish balls in a soup. Yours is making me hungry especially with those veggies. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
~ ray ~
December 31, 2011 @ 4:43 pm
Sounds fantastic! My husband loves congee with fish balls, he ate it all the time growing up in Taiwan. I would win major brownie points if I make this at home. Bookmarked!
January 1, 2012 @ 9:32 am
thats absolutely yummy…ur fish ball soup looks divine….wishing u n ur family a very happy new year !
January 1, 2012 @ 6:59 pm
Sounds delicious.
Happy New year!
January 1, 2012 @ 7:32 pm
thanks for dropping by my blog! looks liek you’re having a blast in hongkong. I love fishballs, it’s so hard to get fresh ones here in london. they’re also notoriously difficult to make yourself to get that perfect springy texture! your soup looks great, really reminds me of my mum’s soup (:
Indonesian Sambal Fish Balls with Vegetables
March 15, 2014 @ 7:07 pm
[…] in the world)! When we were living in Hong Kong, I rarely made these. Fish balls are available in Hong Kong wet markets in plenty and there are so many kinds to choose from. But here in India, these are rare. So it […]