YONG TAU FOO
Yong Tau Foo (also spelled Yong Tau Fu , Yong Tao Foo , Yong Tau Hu , 酿豆腐 in Chinese) is a soup dish with Hakka origins commonly found in Singapore but there are also Teochew and Hokkien variations .One of the healthiest options at a food centre , is made of a variety of ingredients such as bean curd and vegetables usually served in a clear broth .
Yong Tau Foo is essentially a soup containing a variety of food. Diners are able to choose what they want to go with the soup, and most hawkers would charge according to the number of pieces the diner takes. The signature dishes of Yong Yau Foo are actually slices of bitter gourd, lady's finger, taufu pok, chilli, tofu and many others that are stuffed with fish paste. Other selections available may include fish balls, crab sticks, cuttlefish, seaweed, various vegetables, meatballs and cuttlefish balls , the variety offered depends on the hawkers imagination. These pieces of food are then boiled briefly in the soup , certain selections are also fried these include fried wantons, beancurd skins and more. You can request to have yellow noodles, rice or bee hoon to be served together with it.
The soup is cooked with yellow soya beans and for added taste, fried anchovies or ikan bilis as are known in Singapore are added into the soup.
If you have chosen the taufu pok stuffed with fish paste, you will get the same gastronomic experience described in Bak Ku Teh. You will be able to enjoy the essence of the soup as you chew into the tau pok, which absorbs much of the soup.
The make or break factor of Yong Tau Foo is actually the fish paste. A good fish paste is one where once it is cooked, it would not be hard. It would provide you with a good chewing sensation. Since the fish paste would be flavored before they are stuffed into the food pieces, it should not be too salty or smell fishy.
You can choose between two sauces, chili or a sweet brown sauce, to enjoy your Yong Tau Foo with. This dish can also be served dry (with the sauces), or in laksa gravy, instead of the usual soy bean soup.
Yong Tau Foo is one of the favourites among Singaporeans because firstly, it is healthy considering the high soy beans content and fish secondly, it provides variety as you are able to choose the food pieces according to your current likings and preferences. Not much oil is used and vegetables are also available, suitable for the health-conscious.
Yong Tau Foo originated in the 1960s, and is basically tofu stuffed with fish or pork paste. Meaning “stuffed bean curd”, this dish can be easily found in Malaysia and Singapore. Today, Yong Tau Foo comprises of a variety of food items stuffed with fish paste, such as chilli, lady’s finger, bean curd, bitter gourd, mushroom, tofu skin and eggplant. These food items can also be bought pre-prepared at local supermarkets and wet markets.
The fish paste is traditionally made by beating fish meat, usually Ikan Parang (Wolf Herring) or Ikan Tengerri (Spanish Mackerel), with a mortar and pestle into a sticky white paste. Good Yong Tau Foo is often characterised as having a tender and bouncy fish paste filling. Deep fried items such as dough fritters, dumplings and Ngo Hiang (fried meat roll) are also offered.
Either served dry or in a soup, you can have it with a choice of rice, egg noodles or vermicelli. This clear soup, which is also used to cook the items in, is usually made with soy beans and Ikan Billis (dried anchovies), and has a light and fragrant aroma. To accommodate to local tastes, certain stalls also offer Laksa or curry options. Chilli and sweet bean sauce, as well as sesame seeds, are some of the essential accompaniments when eating Yong Tau Foo.
A Malaysian version of this Hakka dish, Ampang Yong Tau Foo, is also popular in Singapore. Served dry, the ingredients are either steamed or braised slowly, adding a unique savoury touch.
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs
Yong Tau Foo is essentially a soup containing a variety of food. Diners are able to choose what they want to go with the soup, and most hawkers would charge according to the number of pieces the diner takes. The signature dishes of Yong Yau Foo are actually slices of bitter gourd, lady's finger, taufu pok, chilli, tofu and many others that are stuffed with fish paste. Other selections available may include fish balls, crab sticks, cuttlefish, seaweed, various vegetables, meatballs and cuttlefish balls , the variety offered depends on the hawkers imagination. These pieces of food are then boiled briefly in the soup , certain selections are also fried these include fried wantons, beancurd skins and more. You can request to have yellow noodles, rice or bee hoon to be served together with it.
The soup is cooked with yellow soya beans and for added taste, fried anchovies or ikan bilis as are known in Singapore are added into the soup.
If you have chosen the taufu pok stuffed with fish paste, you will get the same gastronomic experience described in Bak Ku Teh. You will be able to enjoy the essence of the soup as you chew into the tau pok, which absorbs much of the soup.
The make or break factor of Yong Tau Foo is actually the fish paste. A good fish paste is one where once it is cooked, it would not be hard. It would provide you with a good chewing sensation. Since the fish paste would be flavored before they are stuffed into the food pieces, it should not be too salty or smell fishy.
You can choose between two sauces, chili or a sweet brown sauce, to enjoy your Yong Tau Foo with. This dish can also be served dry (with the sauces), or in laksa gravy, instead of the usual soy bean soup.
Yong Tau Foo is one of the favourites among Singaporeans because firstly, it is healthy considering the high soy beans content and fish secondly, it provides variety as you are able to choose the food pieces according to your current likings and preferences. Not much oil is used and vegetables are also available, suitable for the health-conscious.
Yong Tau Foo originated in the 1960s, and is basically tofu stuffed with fish or pork paste. Meaning “stuffed bean curd”, this dish can be easily found in Malaysia and Singapore. Today, Yong Tau Foo comprises of a variety of food items stuffed with fish paste, such as chilli, lady’s finger, bean curd, bitter gourd, mushroom, tofu skin and eggplant. These food items can also be bought pre-prepared at local supermarkets and wet markets.
The fish paste is traditionally made by beating fish meat, usually Ikan Parang (Wolf Herring) or Ikan Tengerri (Spanish Mackerel), with a mortar and pestle into a sticky white paste. Good Yong Tau Foo is often characterised as having a tender and bouncy fish paste filling. Deep fried items such as dough fritters, dumplings and Ngo Hiang (fried meat roll) are also offered.
Either served dry or in a soup, you can have it with a choice of rice, egg noodles or vermicelli. This clear soup, which is also used to cook the items in, is usually made with soy beans and Ikan Billis (dried anchovies), and has a light and fragrant aroma. To accommodate to local tastes, certain stalls also offer Laksa or curry options. Chilli and sweet bean sauce, as well as sesame seeds, are some of the essential accompaniments when eating Yong Tau Foo.
A Malaysian version of this Hakka dish, Ampang Yong Tau Foo, is also popular in Singapore. Served dry, the ingredients are either steamed or braised slowly, adding a unique savoury touch.
thanks to all the sources : Wikipedia ; SingaporeLifestyle ; YourSingapore ; MakanTime ; and all the other sites and blogs