Taiwanese oden

What it is

Fried fish cakes and surimi simmered in broth and served with a sweet sauce. Alongside the Japanese basics, Taiwanese oden adds local items such as pork meatballs and blood pudding. At Pao Ko in Tainan the broth tastes mainly of sweet radish.

Where it comes from

Oden came to Taiwan during Japanese rule. In Taiwanese Hokkien it became o-lián, later written in Mandarin as 黑輪 (hēilún). Convenience stores sell it under the Japanese-derived name guandongzhu (關東煮). The fried fish cake known as tianbula (甜不辣) is Japanese satsuma-age, which migrants from Kyushu called tempura.

How it is made

Fried fish cakes, surimi and other pieces are simmered in broth so they take on its flavour.

How to eat it

Pick the pieces you want and drink the broth alongside. At Pao Ko in Tainan you mark your own order sheet, and the broth comes free with the oden.

In Kaohsiung

Pao Ko, in a bamboo-walled room in a lane near Tainan's Confucius Temple, is as famous for its stir-fried noodles as its oden. They are made with Uni-President braised-pork instant noodles, an egg and side ingredients.