Hee Pio Soup (Hee pio th'ng (fish maw soup))
Overview
Hee pio soup is a Nyonya fish maw soup of the Peranakan Chinese of Penang and Malacca. A clear, sweet broth is made from pork bones and chicken. Dried fish maw, the swim bladder of large fish, is fried until puffy, soaked and squeezed, then cut into pieces that soak up the broth like a sponge. Into the soup go fish balls, prawn balls, pork meatballs and slices of a roll made from minced pork and fish paste wrapped in a thin omelette, along with napa cabbage, carrot and sometimes bamboo shoots and mushrooms. It is finished with fried garlic, spring onion and white pepper.
History
For Peranakan families, hee pio soup is a traditional dish of the Chinese New Year reunion dinner, when the whole family gathers on New Year's Eve. Fish maw has long been prized in Chinese cooking as a luxury ingredient, and in Nyonya cuisine across Malaysia and Singapore it is a symbol of abundance. The soup takes a day of preparation, and many families make it only for festivals.
Main ingredients
Fish maw, fish balls, pork meatballs, egg rolls, cabbage, carrot. The soup is built on clear pork and chicken broth and is usually served hot. Diet: contains meat; not usually gluten-free.
Explore: Pork soups · Fish and seafood soups · Egg soups · Cabbage soups · More soups from Malaysia
Recipe
Method
- 1
Simmer the pork bones and chicken in 3 l water for 1½ hours and strain.
- 2
Roll the minced pork into meatballs and spread the rest with fish paste on a thin omelette, roll up and steam.
- 310 min
Add the cabbage and carrot to the broth and simmer for 10 minutes.
- 410 min
Add the fish maw, meatballs, fish balls and sliced egg roll and cook for 10 minutes.
- 5
Season and serve with fried garlic and spring onion.
- ✓
Serve. About 2h 10m from start to bowl.
Sources
Description, history and recipe written by SoupWiki and checked against the sources above. Calories and times are rough estimates.
