Fish ball

Fish balls are a common food in southern China, Hong Kong, Macau, Southeast Asia and overseas Chinese communities made from "fish paste" (otherwise known as Chinese: 魚漿; pinyin: yújiāng; Jyutping: jyu4 zoeng1, or in Japanese surimi). They are also common in Scandinavia, where they are usually made from cod or haddock.

Other names

At street hawker stalls and dai pai dong in Hong Kong, they are known as 魚蛋 (literally "fish eggs") is used while 魚丸 (yú wán) and 鱼圆 (yú yuán) are more commonly used in Singapore and Malaysia.

Production

Scandinavian fish balls are similar to another popular local dish, meatballs.

Asian meatballs differ significantly in texture from their European counterparts. Instead of being ground, the fish is pounded, giving it a smooth texture. Pounding, unlike grinding, uncoils and stretches previously wound and tangled protein strands in the meat.

Regional variations

Faroe Islands

In the Faroe Islands, fish balls are called knettir and are made with ground fish and mutton fat.