Curry fish ball

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A curry fish ball is a dish consisting of fish balls immersed in curry sauce. The dish is commonly seen in Hong Kong and an important part of Hong Kong street food culture. The dish originates from the 1950s. [1] In addition, it is also served in cha chaan teng , school cafes [2] and as a nostalgia dish for Hong Kong and Chinese diaspora worldwide. [3]

Contents

History

Fish balls first originated as a means for street hawkers to process lower-quality fish meat. The meat would be molded into a ball shape, then deep fried until a golden-yellow colour was seen. [1] Curry was brought into Hong Kong by Indian settlers under British rule, and provided a convenient spice to compensate for the lack of freshness of the fish. [4] [5] In the high-density environment of the 1970s, selling curry fish balls as part of street hawking provided a convenient means of sustaining a family, and the cheapness of the food also contributed to its popularity.

Curry fish balls in street hawking began to decline as government cleanliness campaign  [ zh ] began to crack down on street vendors. [4] However, it was still a culturally important dish. Legal vendors in government-approved festivals, as well as traditional restaurants such as cha chaan teng or school cafeterias, continued selling curry fish balls as a cheap snack. [6] In areas with large amounts of Hong Kong diaspora, such as Toronto, curry fish balls are also sold as a nostalgia item. [7]

Curry fish balls are traditionally presented on bamboo skewers or in paper bags.[ citation needed ] Nowadays, it is more common to use paper or plastic cups to contain the fish balls. [8]

Curry fish balls are an important cultural icon in Hong Kong. In 2013, a tourism ranking by Cheapflights.com ranked Hong Kong street food as the best in the world, citing curry fish balls as one of the determining factors. [9] Curry fish balls are often used to represent Hong Kong food in international events and appear frequently in movies and TV shows set in Hong Kong. [10]

Curry fish balls have also become a symbol of localism in Hong Kong. The 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest is also often referred to as the "fishball revolution" due to the civil unrest beginning with a campaign to chase away street hawkers in the Sai Yeung Choi Street night market, many of whom were selling curry fish balls. [11] [12]

References

  1. 1 2 "咖喱魚蛋50年代流行至今" [Cury fish balls popular since the 1950s]. Apple Daily (in Chinese). 3 June 2006. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019.
  2. ↑ "香港美食｜盤點中學小食部9大難忘美食　咖喱魚蛋、糯米雞、撈麵" [Hong Kong gourmet: The 9 most missed foods in high school cafeterias: fish balls, glutinous rice, stir-fry noodles]. hk01 (in Chinese). 23 October 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  3. ↑ 余, 品潔; 謝, 文祥 (11 November 2023). "1秒到香港！咖喱魚蛋、砵仔糕　港食接受度高" [To Hong Kong in one second: Curry fish balls, potato cakes among most popular Hong Kong food]. TVBS (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  4. 1 2 "舌尖上的香港 從五道美食看香港百年變遷" [Hong Kong on the tip of the tongue: looking at a hundred years of Hong Kong history from the perspective of five popular foods]. Hong Kong Commercial Dily (in Chinese). 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019.
  5. ↑ "街頭小食系列 -- 咖哩魚蛋" (in Chinese). 中央廣播電臺. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  6. ↑ 陳, 俊豪 (27 September 2023). "香港夜繽紛｜灣仔夜市熟食檔近半 有小食檔20元15粒魚蛋 檔主：唔會賣到咁嗰嗰有怨言" [Hong Kong Night Vibes: Cooked food stalls over half of the stalls in Wan Chai night market - Stall owner: Will not raise price to the extent that everyone is complaining]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  7. ↑ "【香港街頭小食】太古廣場港式街頭美食檔 傳承香港傳統味道" [Hong Kong street food: Tai Koo plaza street food stall preserves traditional Hong Kong taste]. Sing Tao Canada (in Chinese). 28 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
  8. ↑ "連鎖店優惠掀平價小食戰！？IKEA美食站魚蛋燒賣$6/10粒 大快活港式小食$6/份" [Chain store discounts cause price war for street food]. 星島頭條 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 16 July 2025. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  9. ↑ "港憑咖喱魚蛋居榜首" [Hong Kong gains first on leaderboard due to curry fish balls]. 東方日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 29 April 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  10. ↑ "金融峰會｜金管局故宮博物館宴請環球金融領袖食「咖哩魚蛋」？ 介紹香港地獄行山挑戰？（圖集）" [FCA welcomes guests at Forbidden Palace museum, invites global financial leaders to eat curry fish ball and introduce Hong Kong's most difficult hiking routes]. 香港經濟日報HKET (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 3 December 2025.
  11. ↑ Fung, Owen; Lee, Eddie (10 February 2016). "'I will be here until they kill us' – street vendors at Hong Kong estate defiant after simmering unrest turns violent". South China Morning Post.
  12. ↑ VICE News (8 February 2016). "'Fishball Revolution' Creates Chaos on Hong Kong Streets During Chinese New Year Fest". VICE News.

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