Dishes
Pork thick soup
肉羹
Also called: 肉焿 · rou geng · 香菇肉羹 (with shiitake)
Pieces of pork bound with fish paste, served in a starch-thickened broth with vegetables.
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: fullfen666, CC BY-SA 2.0What it is
Rou geng is a thick soup in which pieces of pork bound with fish paste sit in a broth thickened with starch. It is a traditional dish of Taiwan and Fujian, sold in markets across Taiwan. Shops often write the second character as 焿.
Where it comes from
Taiwan and Fujian share it as one of their old thick soups, and it has long been sold as a market snack.
How it is made
Lean and fatty pork are minced and stirred with seasonings until very sticky, then fish paste is mixed in. The pieces are cooked in broth with shiitake, cabbage and bamboo shoot, and the soup is thickened with starch or egg.
How to eat it
Have it with braised pork rice or noodles. Garlic, black vinegar or soy sauce are on hand to adjust the bowl.
In Kaohsiung
Hsiu Ming in Cishan serves a mildly sweet shiitake version. In Ciaotou, Michelin pairs Huang's braised pork rice with pork thick soup. A-Wan, in Sanmin Market, has served it with yi noodles since 1963.
Where to eat it in Kaohsiung
橋仔頭黃家肉燥飯Ciao Zai Tou Huang's Braised Pork Rice (Ciaotou)
Expect a queue at this Ciaotou family stall, which dices its braised pork by hand and serves it over rice. Add a bowl of pork thick soup or some offal on the side.
阿萬意麵A-Wan Yi Noodles
Since 1963 this evening noodle stall in Sanmin Market has kept the same short menu. The order is dry yi-mein noodles with a bowl of pork thick soup.
秀明豬心冬粉Hsiu Ming
Pork heart and other offal in clear soup with glass noodles is what people come to this Cishan old-town favourite for. The braised pork rice with a fried egg is the other order.
Sources