Chaoshan Yuwan
Chaoshan fish balls are hand-pounded fish paste shaped into smooth, bouncy balls. The most famous fish balls in China, prized for their extraordinary elasticity.
Ingredients
- Grass carp 500 g
- Starch 50 g
- Egg white 1 pcs
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- 1. Cook the fish according to package instructions until medium done, remove and drain in cold water.
- 2. Boil water in a large pot, add noodles and cook until appropriate softness and hardness, take out
- 3. Stir-fry or cook grass carp and set aside
- 4. Prepare the sauce: mix the seasonings and stir well
- 5. Pour the noodles into a bowl, pour the sauce over it, add the side dishes and mix well.
Cultural Notes
Chaoshan fish balls are renowned throughout China for their incredible bounce and texture. The secret is the hand-pounding technique, which develops the myosin protein in the fish muscle into a strong gel network. Machine-processed fish balls cannot replicate this texture. The traditional pounding is done with a heavy cleaver and takes 20-30 minutes of continuous work. A good Chaoshan fish ball should be able to bounce off the table. In Chaoshan, fish ball stalls are judged by the bounce test — throwing a ball on the counter to see how high it rebounds.