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

References

{{Singaporean cuisine, state=collapsed Singaporean cuisine Rice dishes Porridges Teochew cuisine Teochew culture in Singapore

Side dishes

See also

References