At the table
Lift a strip with a spoon or chopsticks, let it cool and take small bites. Adjust vinegar and pepper to taste; ask “少放醋和胡椒” for less vinegar and pepper.
Contains fish. Watch for stray bones despite deboning, and note the chewy texture. Ask about added stock, shrimp or other ingredients if relevant to your diet.
Fish species, starch and soup additions vary. Ask which are used; an unfilled fish strip is not a guarantee that the soup contains only fish.
GET TO KNOW THE DISH
What goes into it?
Explore some key ingredients below. Preparations may use additional seasonings and ingredients.
Other fish or starches may be used. MSG, liquor, sugar and broth additions vary; the selected simple soup version does not require liquor. Pepper warmth is distinct from chili heat.
Typical ingredients
In some versions
Recipes vary by restaurant.
How does it taste?
Delicate fish savoriness with vinegar tang and white-pepper warmth.
- Chili heat
- Texture
- Slippery outside and springy, chewy within.
- How it’s made
- Deboned miiuy croaker is worked with ginger, scallion, salt and sweet-potato starch, then scraped in strips into hot water and cooked. The cooking broth is seasoned with rice vinegar, scallion and white pepper.
Other fish or starches may be used. MSG, liquor, sugar and broth additions vary; the selected simple soup version does not require liquor. Pepper warmth is distinct from chili heat.
A CONNECTION TO PLACE
Origin & regional roots
Associated with Zhejiang.
Ask if they have it first
请问你们有温州鱼丸吗？
Do you have this item?
A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ
Story & history
Fish balls that are not round
This account describes a tradition or story, rather than an established historical fact.
Wenzhou fish dumplings are shaped by scraping or pinching worked fish into irregular strips. Their springy texture and clear, vinegar-and-pepper-seasoned soup make them recognizable among China’s many styles of fish balls.