Wenzhou Fish Balls

Unlike the round fish balls found elsewhere, Wenzhou fish balls are made by scraping the flesh of fresh croaker (or mackerel), kneading it with salt until elastic, then tearing it into irregular strips boiled in clear broth; the result is translucent strands of varying length, springy and savoury.

Wenzhou fish balls grew from the coastal Ou people's tradition of eating from the sea, building on the rich seafood of the East China Sea to develop a distinctive method of scraping and beating the flesh into balls. As early as 1998 the dish was named a "Chinese Famous Snack," a hallmark of Ou-cuisine food culture.

Served in a bowl scattered with scallion and laced with rice vinegar and white pepper, eaten hot, the balls are springy and smooth while the broth is tangy and appetite-opening, an everyday street snack found easily around Wuma Street and Gongyuan Road.

The irregular strand shape, the springy smooth bite and the distinctive vinegar dressing set Wenzhou fish balls apart from those of other regions.