Ba-wan (Taiwanese meatball)

       Ba-wan (肉圓, literally means "meat circle"), gets its name due to its ball-like appearance and pork filling inside. Or you can also call it directly "Taiwanese meatball". With chewy and firm skin, and sweet and savory sauce, ba-wan always ranks in the top 10 of the best-loved Taiwanese cuisine. 

Li's ba-wan, Caotun (草屯 肉圓李)

photo credits to: 0492320330.tw.tranews.com/

        It is said that ba-wan was first invented in 1898 by Fan Wan-ju (范萬居), who served as a psychic translator (文筆生) of a temple in Beidou, Changhua. At that time, a heavy flood struck the region, so the deity instructed Mr. Fan to prepare some food for disaster relief. He came up with an idea to prepare dumpling that was suitable for mass production: ground dried sweet potatoes into starch, bunch it up into dough, fill it with cabbage, then cook it into the shape of pastry. This was the prototype of ba-wan. As the recipe was passed down to Mr. Fan's offspring, Beidou ba-wan has become the "standard" style and also developed into the modern version -- the stuffing had been replaced by pork, and the skin had been blended with rice flour or cornstarch. Interestingly, you may see some pinch marks remaining on the skin of the Beidou ba-wan because it is dug out by hand from the bowl!

Fan's ba-wan, Beidou (北斗 范氏肉圓生)

photo credits to: www.web66.com.tw/CW7/

        Later, ba-wan was spread island-wide and the practice varies widely according to different areas. Almost every township has its well-known ba-wan vendor. Although ba-wan is initially cooked by steaming to form the glutinous skin, poaching in oil or deep frying are also common cooking methods, making the skin crispy and crumbly. In central Taiwan, fried ba-wan is in the mainstream, while steamed ba-wan prevails in southern Taiwan. As for the stuffing, it is usually a mixture of lean meat, and bamboo shoots; shiitake mushrooms, red yeast, shrimps, and scallions are optional. Here is an introduction to special ba-wans all over Taiwan!

A-wen's ba-wan, Qingshui (清水 阿文肉圓)

photo credits to: mystore.tranews.com

        When I was a child, I did not like to eat ba-wan, because I thought its skin is too sticky to swallow and its stuffing is too less to bring me satisfaction. Now I realize the gelatinous texture is its most distinguishing feature. Besides, serving with some sweet chili sauce and cilantro (Chinese parsley, 香菜) will greatly enhance its taste. I am still exploring delicious ba-wan all over Taiwan. In my opinion, Achang ba-wan (阿璋肉圓) in Changhua City and Fuji ba-wan (福記肉圓) in Tainan City are worthy of trying!

        Wanna have some ba-wan in your kitchen? The video below will teach you how to make one:

Braised Pork Rice

        When it comes to Taiwanese folk cuisine, “braised pork rice” is always on my favorite list. It is so common and popular that you can find it almost from every street vendor and local restaurant in Taiwan. Topped with savory meat sauce, translucent white steamed rice accompanies the tantalizing aroma and delectable tastes. Braised pork rice is purely and simply a feast for your eyes, nose and stomach!

        In Chinese, braised pork rice is written as “滷肉飯”, with Mandarin pronunciation “lǔ-ròu-fàn”, or Taiwanese pronunciation “lóo-bah-pn̄g”. The term “滷” refers to boil or stew with soy sauce as seasoning. But you can usually see “滷” incorrectly replaced by the character “魯” on the menus. Two wrongs make a right -- nowadays the two homophones are both acceptable. 

        In addition to variant characters, “滷肉飯” comprises regional differences. In northern Taiwan, “滷肉飯” means rice with braised ground/minced pork sauce, while people in the southern of Taiwan call it “肉燥飯”.  On the other hand, in southern Taiwan, "滷肉飯" means rice with braised pork belly, which is called “肉燥飯” in northern Taiwan. The major difference is whether the pork is minced or not. In fact, what I refer to in this post is "滷肉飯" with northern meaning.

Northern name: 滷肉飯 (lóo-bah-pn̄g) -- braised pork rice

Southern name: 肉燥飯 (bah-sò-pn̄g) -- minced pork rice

photo credits to: lohas.pixnet.net/
     

                      

Northern name: 炕肉飯 (khòng-bah-pn̄g) -- soy-stewed pork rice

Southern name: 滷肉飯 (lóo-bah-pn̄g) -- braised pork rice

photo credits to: newsblog.chinatimes.com/leafphoto/

        The video clip below gives a vivid explanation (or debate~) to the regional differences of Taiwanese foods:

        It is quite easy to prepare this delicious dish by yourself. All you have to do is stir-fry the ground pork with sliced shallot in oil, bring the mixture to a boil, and then simmer it for hours. And don’t forget the most crucial condiment -- soy sauce. The quality of soy sauce can determine the savor of braised pork rice. Stir the sauce occasionally while simmering in order to thicken it moderately. You may also need some spices (including star anise, cinnamon, cloves, etc.) to make unique flavor. Here is a recipe with a complete list of ingredients and detailed instructions. If you don't feel like cooking, eating outside is OK. Only pay NT$30 and you can enjoy an medium-sized bowl of braised pork rice in the basement of Men's 1st Dorm, NTU. Just give it a try!

photo credits to: hewoksoflife.com/