Tang hoon soup

I don’t know why but most children love to slurp in the tang hoon when cooked in soup. Maybe it is because it is slippery and soft or they like the sound. Whatever the reason, as long as they love eating the food is most important. However, eating too much tang hoon at one time can cause indigestion especially in older people.

Tang hoon, also called vermicelli or glass noodles, 冬粉 (dong fen, meaning winter noodles), is made of mung bean starch and is sometimes referred to as ‘mung bean thread’. Compared to bee hoon, which is made of rice, tang hoon is finer and more delicate. It looks glassy and transparent when cooked, hence the name ‘glass noodles. Tang hoon is tasteless on its own, making it a versatile addition to many dishes. It can be used in soup, as a side dish when stir-fried, or as a meal by itself. It is merely a matter of preference, variety and choice what to add with the tang hoon.

If you love fish balls like I do, but are too lazy to make them yourself, what do you do? Buy ready-made ones of course. If buying from the supermarket, I look for the expiry date, bounciness of the fish balls and the colour. I would normally go for the white coloured ones. However, a few years ago, my aunty told me about the way some of the fish balls were made and I was totally appalled. She happened to pass by a stall where the lady was making fish balls. After the fish was minced and pounded, the flesh looked greyish pink. The lady then proceeded to add a small amount of bleach to the mixture and the fish paste instantly turned pristine white and the lady started shaping the paste into balls. When my aunty confronted her the lady denied doing this although the bottle of bleach was by her side. Just to be on the safe side avoid buying pristine white uncooked fish balls. The fish balls should only turn white after it has been cooked.

Ingredients

Tang hoon

Fish balls (3-4 per person)

Tung choy

1 fish or chicken stock cube

Prepare the stock and add the fish balls

When the fish balls are cooked, add the tang hoon

There is no need to soak the tang hoon

It is ready once the tang hoon is soft

You can use meat balls instead of fish balls

Ingredients

Minced pork

Tang hoon

1 chicken stock cube

Add salt, pepper, sesame oil and a little corn flour to the minced pork and mix thoroughly

Prepare the stock and drop the pork balls into the boiling stock

When the pork balls are cooked, add the tang hoon

It is ready once the tang hoon is soft