Fish ball

Fish ball
Processed seafood, including (from left) fish balls, squid balls, prawn balls and crab sticks
Traditional Chinese魚丸
Simplified Chinese鱼丸
Literal meaningfish ball
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinyúwán
Bopomofoㄩˊ ㄨㄢˊ
IPA wǎn]
Hakka
RomanizationǸg-yèn
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationyùdáan
IPA[y̏ y̌ːn]
Southern Min
Hokkien POJhî-oân / hîr-oân / hû-oân
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese魚蛋 or 魚旦
Simplified Chinese鱼蛋 or 鱼旦
Literal meaningfish egg
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyinyúdàn
Bopomofoㄩˊ ㄉㄢˋ
IPA tǎn]
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationyùdáan
Jyutpingjyu4daan2
IPA[y̏ tǎːn]

Fish balls are the balls made from fish paste which are then boiled or deep-fried. Similar in composition to fishcake, fish balls are often made from fish mince or surimi, salt, and a culinary binder such as tapioca flour, corn, or potato starch.[1][2]

Fish balls are popular in East and Southeast Asia,[3] Europe (especially Northern Europe), and some coastal countries of West Africa. In Asia they are eaten as a snack or added to soups or hotpot dishes. They are usually attributed to Chinese cuisine and the fish ball industry is largely operated by people of Chinese descent.[4]: 286  European versions tend to be less processed, sometimes using milk or potatoes for binding. Nordic countries like Norway, Denmark and Sweden each have their own variation.

  1. ^ Commodity Classifications Under the Harmonized System. Department of the Treasury, U.S. Customs Service. 1990. p. 194.
  2. ^ IFIS Dictionary of Food Science and Technology. John Wiley & Sons. 18 May 2009. p. 166. ISBN 978-1-4051-8740-4.
  3. ^ Ang, Catharina Y. W.; Liu, Keshun; Huang, Yao-Wen (5 April 1999). Asian Foods: Science and Technology. CRC Press. p. 267. ISBN 978-1-4822-7879-8.
  4. ^ Park, Jae W. (12 November 2013). Surimi and Surimi Seafood (3 ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4398-9857-4.