Teochew cuisine 潮 汕 林
Oyster omelette (蚝 烙)
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. Chaoshan cuisine bears more similarities to that of Fujian cuisine, particularly Southern Min cuisine, due to the similarity of Chaoshan's and Fujian's culture, language, and their geographic proximity to each other. However, Chaoshan cuisine is also influenced by Cantonese cuisine in its style and technique. Chaoshan cuisine is well known for its seafood and vegetarian dishes. Its use of flavouring is much less heavy-handed than most other Chinese cuisines and depends much on the freshness and quality of the ingredients for taste and flavour. As a delicate cuisine, oil is not often used in large quantities and there is a relatively heavy emphasis on poaching, steaming and braising, as well as the common Chinese method of stir-frying.
Chaoshan cuisine is also known for serving congee (糜; mí; or mue), in addition to steamed rice or noodles with meals. The Chaoshan mue is rather different from the Cantonese counterpart, being very watery with the rice sitting loosely at the bottom of the bowl, while the Cantonese dish is more a thin gruel. Authentic Chaoshan restaurants serve very strong oolong tea called Tieguanyin in very tiny cups before and after the meal. Presented as gongfu tea, the tea has a thickly bittersweet taste, colloquially known as gam gam (甘 甘; gān gān). A condiment that is popular in Fujian and Taiwanese cuisine and commonly associated with cuisine of certain Chaoshan groups is shacha sauce (沙 茶 酱; 沙 茶 醬; shāchá jiàng). It is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilies, brill fish and dried shrimp. The paste has a savoury and slightly spicy taste. As an ingredient, it has multiple uses: as a base for soups, as a rub for barbecued meats, as a seasoning for stir-fried dishes, or as a component for dipping sauces. In addition to soy sauce (widely used in all Chinese cuisines), the Chaoshan diaspora in Southeast Asia use fish sauce in their cooking. It is used as a flavouring agent in soups and sometimes as a dipping sauce, as in Vietnamese spring rolls. Chaoshan chefs often use a special stock called superior broth (上 汤; 上 湯; shàngtāng). This stock remains on the stove and is continuously replenished. Portrayed in popular media, some Hong Kong chefs allegedly use the same superior broth that is preserved for decades. This stock can as well be seen on Chaozhou TV's cooking programmes.
There is a notable feast in Chaoshan cuisine called jiat dot (食 桌; shízhuō; 'food table'). A myriad of dishes are often served, which include shark fin soup, bird's nest soup, lobster, steamed fish, roasted suckling pig and braised goose. Chaoshan chefs take pride in their skills of vegetable carving, and carved vegetables are used as garnishes on cold dishes and on the banquet table. Chaoshan cuisine is also known for a late night meal known as meh siao (夜 宵; yèxiāo) or daa laang (打 冷; dǎléng) among the Cantonese. Chaoshan people enjoy eating out close to midnight in restaurants or at roadside food stalls. Some dai pai dong-like eateries stay open till dawn. Unlike the typical menu selections of many other Chinese cuisines, Chaoshan restaurant menus often have a dessert section. Many people of Chaoshan origin, also known as Teochiu or Chaoshan people, have settled in Hong Kong and places in Southeast Asia like Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand. Influences they bring can be noted in Singaporean cuisine and that of other settlements. A large number of Chaoshan people have also settled in Taiwan, evident in Taiwanese cuisine. Other notable Chaoshan diaspora communities are in Vietnam, Cambodia and France. A popular noodle soup in both Vietnam and Cambodia, known as hu tieu, originated from the Chaoshan. There is also a large diaspora of Chaoshan people (most were from Southeast Asia) in the United States - particularly in California. There is a Teochew Chinese Association in Paris called L'Amicale des Teochews en France.
CHAO SHAN TEOCHEW CUISINE (潮汕林)
Being someone fond of Teochew food, I’m not adventurous when asked to try teochew restaurants unless it’s proven to be authentic.
We had an early reunion dinner round 1 with my family at Chao Shan Cuisine, located along Beach Road. This restaurant is well known amongst Teochews and indeed serves very authentic dishes:
- First up, teochew yusheng (鱼 生) 7.5/10 – this is my first time having teochew yusheng! Compared to the usual Cantonese style we’ve had, this was pretty refreshing! No preserved ingredients and the fish was not the usual salmon.
- Cold dish (冷 盘) 8/10 – consisted of liver roll, pork aspic and prawn balls. All 3 were very good but my favorite was the pork aspic. Very nice, firmer than I remembered (not at this restaurant) and really tasty!
- Steamed shark head 8.5/10 – not for the environmentalists. The collagen was scraped from the bones, mixed with the light soy just spells umami.
- Roast piglet 8/10 – well marinated crispy skinned piglet. See the shiny crackling? Yums!
- Braised goose 7/10 – no photo, was good but nothing out of the ordinary. The tofu was not braised enough and tasted quite bland.
- Steamed pomfret 8/10 – no photo, was a slightly fatty fish nicely steamed with preserved plums. Very nice.
- Steamed crabs with black chopped olives 7.5/10 – the black olives gave a citrusy twist to the dish. The crabs were so sweet and succulent!
- Chai po fried rice noodles 8/10 – chai po is preserved radish which we use to make omelette or put on food (like chwee kueh – steamed rice flour cakes). The chai po was not salty and the fragrance of the lard was great!
- Orh nee (yam paste) 7/10 – this is a very traditional dessert in teochew cuisine. I’m not sure what’s missing from this but somehow it’s either lacking the taste of lard or I’m not too used to seeing Orh nee being lumpy.
10 Traditional Teochew Dishes Your Grandparents Will Love
There are many reasons why I love Teochew food. It may be because I’m Teochew and chowing down on a plate of chai tow kway leaves a nostalgic warmth in my belly. But it’s also because Teochew cuisine shines a spotlight on the freshness of their ingredients and quality of cooking.
Backed by a wealth of history, Teochew food will impress you with the extensive variety of food it has to offer. Give Japanese or Korean nosh a pass the next time you’re searching for food and head for these traditional Teochew dishes instead.
If you’re a fan of all things old-school, check out these 10 Nonya kueh stalls as well. Whether it’s the umami-packed Lemper Udang or luscious Kueh Dar-dar, these traditional bakeries will satisfy any kueh-vings with their handmade creations. With that in mind, bookmark this page and check out these 10 traditional Teochew dishes:
- Teochew Steamboat
- Pao Fan
- Jellied Pig Trotters
- Lor Ark (Braised Duck)
- Orh Nee
- Chye Poh Fried Kway Teow
- Soon Kueh
- Teochew Cold Crab
- Teochew Suckling Pig
- ‘Puning’ Fermented Bean Chicken
Chaoshan cuisine: a distinctive culinary style
GUANGDONG IS WELL KNOWN as the heartland of the Cantonese-speaking peoples, with their love of barbecued pork and dialects from the root known as Yue. But there has always been an area of the province which has been different on multiple levels. We’re referring to the area known as Chaoshan (潮 汕 地 區). The area is considered distinctive because the language was different, as was the culture, and so was the food. About 300 kilometers to the northeast of Cantonese-dominated Hong Kong, the Chaoshan area is known as the place where many famous east Asian people trace their roots – from top businessman Li Ka-shing to political figures in Thailand and actors across the region.
In this article, we’re going to look at Chaoshan’s cuisine, which is unusual. Even the tea is special – Chaoshan tea is sometimes called “the espresso of tea”: it is thick and strong and “knocked back” in small servings. Chaoshan (潮 汕 地 區) today consists of the cities Chaozhou (潮 州), Jieyang (揭 陽) and Shantou (汕 頭). The area’s geographic position is striking. With mountains behind it and the sea in front, it is a perfect position in terms of feng shui. But on a practical basis, it’s also a good setting for food lovers: the area gets food resources from both land and the sea. We can image that for thousands of years, these people have been living on poultry and livestock from the mountains, and other foods from the seafront, with its natural harbor: seafood from the fishermen and more exotic foods from travelling traders.
The earliest historical record of Chaoshan cuisine (潮 州 菜) is a mention in a poem from the Tang Dynasty (618 to 907). The writer was poet Han Yu (韓 愈), known as one of the“Eight Masters of the Tang and Song”(唐 宋 八大 家). During his banishment from the capital to Chaozhou, he considered his new home to be remote, but not isolated in the way northern people thought it would be. And he also was fascinated by the food. He listed several examples of Chaozhou cuisine items in his writing, such as conpoy, oysters and eels. He also mentioned his experience learning to cook from local people: how to add salt and orange to upgrade the seafood flavours. This indicated that at that time, Chaoshan residents had already begun to cook seafood by braising it in sauce. The cuisine is today famous for its thick sauces.
Chaoshan Cuisine / Teochew Cuisine – Popular in Chaozhou & Shantou in South China
Chaoshan cuisine, also Teochew cuisine is a branch of Cantonese cuisine which has its own style and is reputed the highest-end cuisine in China. Chaoshan dishes are exquisite, fresh, mild and healthy and rich in food materials. Special cooking techniques like brining, alive marinating are applied to create delicious dishes like Chaoshan Brined Meat and Alive Marinated Shrimp. According to historical records, Teochew cuisine can be traced back to Han Dynasty (202 BC - 220 AD). The chefs in Guangdong had developed special cooking skills and was especially good at cooking sea food at that time. After the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), influenced by the cooking skills of the Central Plains, it developed rapidly. In the late Ming (1368 - 1644 AD) and early Qing dynasties (1644 - 1911 AD), Chaozhou cuisine entered its heyday, and in Chaozhou there showed up well-known restaurants, famous chefs and creative dishes. In modern times, Chaoshan cuisine has become a popular cuisine around the world, and the dishes are richer and the quality is higher.
Today, Teochew cuisine has developed into one of the famous Chinese cuisine which plays an important position in the culinary culture of China and the world. Chaoshan dishes, like Cantonese dishes, are crafted. The cuttings are exquisite, and the heat and seasonings are also paid much attention to, and the pursuit of appealing appearance is sought after. It is called the highest-end cuisine in China. Chaozhou dishes taste fresh, light and natural. In addition, Chaozhou cuisine is infinite in variety of dipping sauce. A large amount of dishes are served with different dipping sauce. Salty, spicy, sweet or sour, each has its own outstanding flavor. The southern ginger, plum paste, fish sauce, red oyster sauce, and osmosis sauce are specialties in Chaozhou. Fishing industry in Chaozhou and Shantou is prosperous, so the chefs cook seafood and fishes a lot and well. The vegetarian dishes in Chaozhou cuisine are many in kind. It is said that vegetarian dishes are accounts for 9.1% of the famous Chaoshan dishes. The famous vegetarian dishes include Patriotic Soup, Vegetarian Dish with Eight Ingredients, Radish and Scallop Ball. All of them are lightly seasoned, making them mild and healthy. In addition, there are many varieties of sweet ingredients being used, like sweet potatoes, taro, pumpkin, ginkgo, lotus seeds, mandarin orange, and pineapple.
The cooking method of Chaozhou dishes is always diversified according to the characteristics of raw materials, such as braining, deep-frying, pan-frying, braising, alive marinating, stewing, roasting, smoking, steam stewing, dressing, etc. Among them, the chefs prefer brining and alive marinating a lot. Chaozhou brined meat is the signature dish in Chaoshan cuisine. Various meat are brined together with rich flavors. Alive marinating is also a specialty cooking method on sea food. The sea food like crab, shrimp, oyster and clam are marinated alive in special sauce seasoned with chili, vinegar, green onion, ginger, soy sauce and even Chinese liquor; the sea food cooked by this way is extremely umami. 10 Notable Dishes in Sichuan Cuisine:
- Chaoshan Brined Meat
- Oyster Omelette
- Chaoshan Beef Hot Pot
- Jiazi Fish Ball
- Teochew Porridge
- Beef Kway Teow
- Stir-fried Beef with Chinese Kale
- Patriotic Soup
- Bitter Mellon and Sparerib Soup
- Sweet Potato Paste with Gingko
6 Restaurants For Authentic Teochew Fare
From a Chinese restaurant in a 170-year-old Teochew clan club to a brand-new celebrity restaurant, here are where you can get your muay and orh nee. Teochew cuisine, which originates from the Chaoshan region in the eastern part of China’s Guangdong province, emphasises natural flavours. The region encompasses the cities of Chaozhou, Shantou (formerly Swatow) and Jieyang. Teochew cooking is also influenced by Hokkien and Cantonese cuisines due to the geographical proximity of Fujian and Guangzhou.
Known for its delicate flavours, which depends much on the freshness and quality of the ingredients, Teochew food employs lighter cooking methods like poaching, steaming and braising. While everyday Teochew fare might consist of a few dishes accompanied by a watery rice porridge called muay or a one-dish meal of Teochew fishball noodles or bak chor mee, Teochews have more festive banquets for special occasions like reunion dinners or weddings which they call jiak dok, which translates as “eat table” in the Teochew dialect. At such banquets, the tables groan under the weight of a myriad of classic dishes: braised shark fin soup, steamed pomfret, glistening whole suckling pig and pork trotter aspic, ending with the quintessential Teochew dessert of orh nee (yam paste) for dessert.
Here are six Teochew restaurants in Singapore where you can go to jiak dok with the whole family:
- Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine
- Hung Kang Teochew Restaurant
- Teochew City
- Swatow Seafood
- Teochew Restaurant Huat Kee
- Chui Huay Lim Teochew Cuisine
9 of the best restaurants in Singapore for authentic Teochew cuisine
These establishments are keeping the original flavours of Teochew cuisine alive with a plethora of dishes steeped in tradition
Purveyors of Teochew cuisine are known for prioritising clean and natural flavours. Dishes are lightly seasoned and cooked in ways that bring forth the freshness of each ingredient. That said, chefs still make use of the full spectrum of Chinese cooking techniques to prepare their food. These range from steaming and poaching to braising, stir-frying and deep-frying, resulting in varied dishes. Here’s where you can find some of the best authentic Teochew restaurants in Singapore:
- Swatow Seafood
- Liang Kee Teochew Restaurant
- Teochew Restaurant Huat Kee
- Chin Lee Restaurant
- Di Wei Teochew Restaurant
- Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine
- Chui Huay Lim
- Ah Orh Seafood Restaurant
- Lee Kwang Kee Teochew Cuisine
Paradise Teochew – Authentic Teochew Food In Singapore
Being half a Teochew (my mum’s a Teochew-Nang), special occasions were celebrated at old-style Teochew restaurants. Those memories of sitting around round tables to jiat dot and relish signature dishes like the Steamed Pomfret, Prawn Rolls and Orh Nee still linger. Many of such restaurants are no longer around, and so we frequently search for good authentic Teochew food that provides this sense of familiarity.
Paradise Group’s Paradise Teochew Restaurant is a pleasant find, and this is somewhere my uncles and aunties (all my Ah Beh, A Mm, Ah Zeg, Ah Sim, Ah Gou, Ah Gu, Ah I, Ah Gim), and even the young ones should enjoy thoroughly. It has two outlets, one at Orchard Scotts Square and the other at VivoCity. The younger generation (boy, I sound old here) may not be aware of the different cuisines between the dialect groups. Teochew style dishes are known for being light-handed on seasonings with minimal use of oil, hence commonly regarded as being healthier.
Teochew cuisine is said to be originated from Guangdong province in China. The cuisine also focuses on the freshness and quality of the ingredients, and uses heavily on cooking methods such as poaching, steaming and braising. The Executive Chef Cheng Fa Kwan is from Hong Kong, and has 34 years of culinary experience under his belt. He came from a family of Teochew chefs, with skills passed down from grandfather to father and finally to him; the 3rd generation. So if you actually tried Teochew food in Hong Kong and long for some particular dishes, you may actually find familiar taste here. Teochew Style Signatures Dishes:
- Teochew Style Steamed Pomfret 潮 式 蒸 鲳
- Sautéed Sliced Beef in Satay Sauce 沙 爹 酱 炒 牛 肉
- Braised Trio Combination in Teochew Style 潮 式 卤 味 三 拼
- Sautéed Scallop with Asparagus in XO Sauce XO 酱 芦 笋 带 子
- Steamed Diced Chicken wrapped in Egg White Crepe 菊 花 石 榴 鸡
- Pan-fried Oyster Omelette in Teochew Style 潮 州 蚝 煎 蛋
- Crispy Sweet and Sour Noodle in Teochew Style 潮 式 干 煎 糖 醋 面
- Mashed Yam with Gingko 福 果 甜 芋 泥
- Steamed Sweetened Yam, Sweet Potato and Gingko 高 烧 三 宝
PROSPEROUS YU SHENG FISH SALAD AT SINGAPORE FESTIVAL
Singaporeans believe the seventh day of the Chinese New Year marks the occasion for people to gather and enjoy Lo Hei Yu Sheng, a tasty fish salad and popular specialty served every Chinese New Year on the Lion Island. It is associated with the hope of enhancing luck and good things in the New Year. Yu Sheng in Chinese stands for a prosperous life, indicating wealth and longevity.
It is a salad dish made with pieces of salmon, julienne-chopped radish and carrot, grapefruit wedges, roasted peanuts, roasted sesame and plum sauce. Each ingredient is prepared carefully for them to bring good luck and wealth. Fish indicates prosperity of the upper class; grapefruit indicates good luck and wealth; white radish indicates a successful business and a promotion; cooking oil indicates cash inflow.
The raw ingredients are put in a large bowl alongside seven more representatives of good wishes for the New Year including great happiness and advantages prosperity for the whole year, achieving thousands of desired things, wealth and prosperity, and so on. Family members or business partners stand around a table and use chopsticks to mix and tumble the ingredients for the dish as high as possible and speak their wishes for the New Year out loud. This mixing is known as ‘Lo Hei in Singapore, meaning prosperity’. Lo Hei Yu Sheng fish salad expresses the wish to thrive and experience prosperity in the New Year and has become an indispensable dish at every spring welcoming party organised by Singaporeans.
TEOCHEW PORRIDGE IN SINGAPORE – ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW
Loved by locals, Teochew Porridge is a wonderful comfort food for both breakfast and dinner time.
Teochew Porridge is a popular rice dish in Singapore. It is usually served with various side dishes, such as meats, fish, and vegetables. One of the most popular sides in probably braised pork (lor bak). However, salted egg, braised tofu, and omelette are typical side dishes as well.
What makes Teochew Porridge dishes special is the emphasis on the original and natural taste of the ingredients. Hence, the dishes are only seasoned sparingly. The Teochew Porridge itself is usually rather plain and unsweetened, as the side dishes tend to be salty. Some versions of the porridge might include sweet potatoes. Where is the best Teochew Porridge:
- Soon Soon Teochew Porridge Restaurant
- Joo Chiat Teochew Porridge
- Joo Seng Teochew Porridge & Rice
- Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge
Best Teochew Porridge In Singapore
Whether you are a local or just visiting Singapore, there is one dish that everyone has to try at least once and that is Teochew Porridge. However, like with most dishes, every place has their own unique recipe and flavor. So it is important that you can find a restaurant that serves a porridge that your taste buds will not forget.
But where should you go to try this distinctive dish? To make your life easier, we narrowed down the almost endless restaurants and stalls that serve Teochew Porridge down to the 10 best of the best. Regardless of which restaurant you choose on this list, we know that you will go home satisfied.
But before we begin with this list, what even is Teochew Porridge? It’s a soup or broth dish that is usually accompanied by a variety of other dishes that allow you to mix and combine flavors to your liking. Common ingredients include fish eggs, meat, vegetables, and rice. This dish originated in Chaozhou, China but made popular in places such as Singapore and Malaysia. So let’s jump into this list:
- Joo Seng Teochew Porridge & Rice
- Choon Seng Teochew Porridge
- Ah Seah Teochew Porridge
- Heng Long Teochew Porridge Rice
- House of Teochew
- Soon Soon Teochew Porridge
- Lim Joo Hin Eating House
- Soon Kee Teochew Porridge
- Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge
- Curry Rice & Porridge (咖 喱 饭 粥)
Teochew Porridge – Recipes, Ingredients & Cooking Skills
Teochew porridge has a high status in Chaoshan cuisine and even Cantonese cuisine, especially popular in Chaozhou and Shantou in Guangdong. Since the areas are rich in seafood, the best Teochew porridge always contains seafood, such as fish, shrimp, crab, eels and scallops. The cooker used to boil the porridge is a well-breathable old style casserole.
Teochew Porridge Types:
- By ingredients - Fish porridge, shrimp porridge, crab porridge, eel and scallop porridge, Chinese francolin porridge, beef porridge... Among them the seafood porridge is the most famous.
- By cooking methods - Rice porridge with side dishes: There is only rice inside rice porridge. Sometimes chefs add sweet potato and other coarse cereals but it is not seasoned, and the side dishes is made separately.
- Seasoned porridge - Chefs season the boiling porridge with salt, sesame oil, grounder pepper, sugar and so on, and various sea food and meat will be added into the porridge.
10 Best Teochew Porridge 潮 洲 粥 Stalls in Singapore You Have to Hunt Down Now
Teochew porridge, also known in colloquial dialect as ‘Teochew Mui’ 糜 to foreigners is a really strange and peculiar dish to say the least as it is nothing like the mushy rice porridge or al dente risotto in any shape or form. Neither is it gooey like the typical Asian congee. So what exactly is it?
Teochew porridge is quite simply cooked rice grains swimming in a soupy broth (might be flavoured or plain) and consumed with a selection of Chinese side dishes like nasi padang. It refers more to a style of serving rather than a particular dish. Typical items a Teochew porridge stall will have include fried or steamed fish, minced pork meat, braised duck, pork intestines, eggs, boiled vegetables, fish cake, squid, tofu or tau pok and many more. A popular breakfast as well as supper option amongst Singaporeans, Teochew porridge is comforting and delicious.
Here’s my list of the 10 places you should go for the best Teochew porridge around the island:
- Joo Seng Teochew Porridge & Rice
- Joo Chiat Teochew Porridge (formerly Teck Teochew Porridge)
- Choon Seng Teochew Porridge
- Curry Rice & Porridge (咖 喱 饭 粥)
- Soon Soon Teochew Porridge
- Ah Seah Teochew Porridge
- Ye Shang Hai Teochew Porridge
- Soon Kee Teochew Porridge
- Lim Joo Hin Eating House
- Heng Long Teochew Porridge
The Peranakan Cuisine
Peranakan is Malay for “born here”, which refers to the Straits-born people of Chinese and Malay/Indonesian heritage. The Straits Chinese lead vibrant lives that comprise of many Chinese and Austronesian facets. Male Peranakans are addressed as “Baba”, while females and the culture in general of this matriarchal community are referred to as “Nonya”.
Peranakan architecture is known for its ornate fixtures and adornments, and can be experienced at establishments like Candlenut, PeraMakan and National Kitchen by Violet Oon. These establishments boast Peranakan dishes adapted from Chinese, Indian, Malay and Eurasian tables.
“In the old days, young Peranakan girls had plenty of opportunities to learn the Peranakan crafts like beading and cooking from their mothers,” explains Kathryn Ho, who owns the popular restaurant chain PeraMakan. “In Peranakan households, there are always guests to feed, so matriarchs have lots of opportunities to cook, bake and create elaborate dishes that are not only delicious but colourful, artistic and creative.”
