Teochew porridge (;
Teochew pronunciation in
Tâi-lô: ''Tiô-tsiu-muê'') 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 that is eaten with plain rice porridge. It may be simply prepared plain (i.e. without toppings), or include sweet potatoes.
The rice grains, while softened from cooking, are still whole and not in an overly starchy state. Because the porridge is served plain, it is suitable to accompany salty side dishes. The recipe originated in Chaozhou and was later modified by early immigrants prepared in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
and
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
over the generations to suit local tastes.
In Singapore, Teochew-style porridge is usually consumed with a selection of
Singaporean Chinese side dishes like ''
nasi Padang
Nasi padang, sometimes referred to as Padang rice, is a Minangkabau dish of steamed rice served with various choices of pre-cooked dishes originating from West Sumatra, Indonesia. It is named after the city of Padang, capital of the West Sumat ...
''. There is no fixed list of side dishes, but in Singapore, accompaniments typically include
lor bak (braised pork), steamed fish,
stir-fried water spinach
Stir-fried water spinach is a common Asian vegetable dish, known by various names in Asian languages. Water spinach (''Ipomoea aquatica'') is stir-fried with a variety of vegetables, spices, and sometimes meats. It is commonly found throughout ...
(''kangkong goreng''),
salted egg
Salting or Salted may refer to:
People
*George Salting (1835–1909), Australian-born English art collector, who left the Salting Bequest, which included the
** ''Salting Madonna'' (Antonello da Messina), National Gallery, London
Other
* Salting ...
,
fish cake
A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden.
Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...
,
tofu
Tofu (), also known as bean curd in English, is a food prepared by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into solid white blocks of varying softness; it can be ''silken'', ''soft'', ''firm'', ''extra firm'' or ''super firm ...
, omelet, minced meat, braised tau kway, Hei Bee Hiang (fried chili
shrimp paste
Shrimp paste or prawn sauce is a fermented condiment commonly used in Southeast Asian and Southern Chinese cuisines. It is primarily made from finely crushed shrimp or krill mixed with salt, and then fermented for several weeks. They are eithe ...
), and vegetables.
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
Scallions (also known as spring onions or green onions) are vegetables derived from various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions and their close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chi ...
, slices of ginger and a sprinkle of freshly
crushed red pepper
Crushed red pepper or red pepper flakes is a condiment or spice consisting of dried and crushed (as opposed to ground) red chili peppers. This condiment is most often produced from cayenne-type peppers, although commercial producers may use a vari ...
, so that the freshness and sweetness of the seafood can be fully appreciated.
Teochew porridge is considered a comfort food that can be eaten for both breakfast as well as supper. Singapore Airlines has since 2016 introduced Teochew cuisine on board its flights, which includes Teochew porridge.
Side dishes
*
Steamed fish
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. This is often done with a food steamer, a kitchen appliance made specifically to cook food with steam, but food can also be steamed in a wok. In the American southwest, steam pits used for cooking have ...
, a fish dish seasoned with
soy sauce
Soy sauce (also called simply soy in American English and soya sauce in British English) is a liquid condiment of Chinese origin, traditionally made from a fermented paste of soybeans, roasted grain, brine, and '' Aspergillus oryzae'' or ''Asp ...
, spring onion, slices of ginger and freshly crushed red pepper
*
Salted egg
Salting or Salted may refer to:
People
*George Salting (1835–1909), Australian-born English art collector, who left the Salting Bequest, which included the
** ''Salting Madonna'' (Antonello da Messina), National Gallery, London
Other
* Salting ...
, a Chinese preserved food product made by soaking duck eggs in brine, or packing each egg in damp, salted charcoal
*
Fishcake
A fishcake (sometimes written as fish cake) is a culinary dish consisting of filleted fish or other seafood minced or ground, mixed with a starchy ingredient, and fried until golden.
Asian-style fishcakes usually contain fish with salt, water, ...
, minced fish meat which has been pounded. In Singapore, ''ikan parang'' or ''sai tor her'' (
wolf herring
The wolf herrings are a family (biology), family (Chirocentridae) of two marine species of ray-finned fish related to the herrings.
Both species have elongated bodies and jaws with long sharp teeth that facilitate their ravenous appetites, mostl ...
) are considered suitable for making fishcake.
* Omelet, a dish made from beaten eggs quickly cooked with butter or oil in a frying pan
* Hei bee hiang, a popular spicy,
savory
Savory or Savoury may refer to:
Common usage
* Herbs of the genus ''Satureja'', particularly:
** Summer savory (''Satureja hortensis''), an annual herb, used to flavor food
** Winter savory (''Satureja montana''), a perennial herb, also used to ...
condiment in Singapore consisting of shrimp paste stir fried with chopped dried shrimp, shallot and garlic
*
Stir-fried water spinach
Stir-fried water spinach is a common Asian vegetable dish, known by various names in Asian languages. Water spinach (''Ipomoea aquatica'') is stir-fried with a variety of vegetables, spices, and sometimes meats. It is commonly found throughout ...
, 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
*
Congee
Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...
*
Teochew cuisine
Chaoshan cuisine, also known as Chiuchow cuisine, Chaozhou cuisine or Teo-swa cuisine, originated from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China's Guangdong Province, which includes the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou and Jieyang. Chaos ...
*
References
{{Singaporean cuisine, state=collapsed
Singaporean cuisine
Rice dishes
Porridges
Teochew cuisine
Teochew culture in Singapore