Teochew porridge
| Course | Main course |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Chaoshan, China |
| Region or state | Malaysia, Singapore and Chaozhou |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Teochew muay (rice porridge) accompanied with small plates of side dishes like braised pork, steamed or fried fish, fish cake, salted egg, omelette, minced meat, braised tau kway, hei bee hiang and vegetables |
| Variations | Cantonese congee |
Teochew porridge is a Teochew rice porridge dish often accompanied with various small plates of side dishes. Teochew porridge is served as a banquet of meats, fish egg and vegetables eaten with plain rice porridge. It may be simply cooked without flavour, or include sweet potatoes.[1] The rice grains while softened from cooking, are still whole and not in an overly starchy state. Because the porridge is plain and unflavoured, it is suitable to accompany salty side dishes. The recipe originated in Chaozhou and was later modified by early immigrants prepared in Malaysia and Singapore over the generations to suit local tastes.[2]
In Singapore, Teochew-style porridge is usually consumed with a selection of Singaporean Chinese side dishes like nasi Padang. There is no fixed list of side dishes, but in Singapore, accompaniments typically include lor bak (braised pork), steamed fish, stir-fried water spinach (kangkong goreng), salted egg, fish cake, tofu, omelette, minced meat, braised tau kway, Hei Bee Hiang (fried shrimp chilli paste), and vegetables.[3] Teochew porridge dishes emphasize simplicity and originality, and every dish is cooked with minimum seasoning to retain its original taste. Teochew is famous for steamed fish which is usually only seasoned with light sauce, spring onion, slices of ginger and a sprinkle of fresh chilli flakes, so that the freshness and sweetness of the seafood can be fully appreciated.
Teochew porridge is considered a comfort food for both breakfast as well as supper. Singapore Airlines has since 2016 introduced Teochew cuisine on board its flights, which includes Teochew porridge.[4]
Side dishes
- Lor bak, minced pork and/or seafood marinated with five-spice powder, rolled in thin beancurd sheets and deep fried
- Steamed fish, a fish dish seasoned with soy sauce, spring onion, slices of ginger and fresh chilli flakes
- Salted egg, a Chinese preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine, or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal
- Fishcake, minced fish meat which has been pounded. In Singapore, ikan parang or sai tor her (wolf herring) are considered suitable for making fishcake.
- Omelette, a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan
- Hei bee hiang, a popular spicy, savoury condiment in Singapore, consisting of shrimp paste stir fried with chopped dried shrimp, shallot and garlic
- Stir-fried water spinach, a vegetable dish, sometimes with anchovy
- Lor ark, a Teochew-style braised duck with soy sauce
- Braised pig's skin, a pork dish braised with soy sauce
See also
References
- ^ Naleeza Ebrahim; Yaw Yan Yee (2006). Singapore. Marshall Cavendish. pp. 47–48. ISBN 978-981-232-922-6.
- ^ "Journey to the heart of Teochew food". AsiaOne. Retrieved January 19, 2016.
- ^ "Enjoy Teochew porridge with popular dishes" (PDF).
- ^ "Singapore Airlines to serve Teochew cuisine and bak chor mee on selected flights". Singapore Press Holdings. The Straits Times. October 31, 2016.
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