Fish soup bee hoon facts for kids
Fish soup bee hoon at Food Junction in Singapore
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| Alternative names | Fish head bee hoon |
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| Course | Soup |
| Place of origin | Singapore |
| Region or state | Maritime Southeast Asia |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Fish (usually snakehead, also pomfret or batang), fish stock or bones, bee hoon, water, oil, yams, milk |
Fish soup bee hoon, also known as fish head bee hoon, is a popular soup dish from Singapore. It's a warm, tasty seafood meal often served with thin rice noodles called bee hoon. Many people in Singapore think of it as a healthy food choice. A food expert from CNN even said it was one of the "40 Singapore foods we can't live without."
Contents
The Story of Fish Soup Bee Hoon
This delicious fish soup has been around for a long time. People have been enjoying fish soup bee hoon since at least the 1920s. Some say that a place called Swee Kee Fish Head Noodle House made the most famous version of this dish in the 1970s.
What's Inside Fish Soup Bee Hoon?
Main Ingredients
The most common fish used for this soup is the snakehead fish. But you might also find other types of fish, like pomfret, batang, or garoupa. You can choose to have fish heads, whole fish, or just slices of fish in your soup.
The soup itself is made from fish stock or fish bones. It's mixed with water, oil, and yams. Sometimes, milk is added to make the soup creamy. Vegetables and certain fruits are also included to add flavor.
Noodles and Other Goodies
The noodles in the soup are usually thin rice noodles called bee hoon. For a healthier option, some places might offer spaghetti made from brown rice. You can also find versions with fried noodles.
Other ingredients that can be added include eggs, anchovies, pepper, and salt. Some recipes even use a splash of alcohol like brandy, Chinese wine, or cognac. To make it spicy, chilli slices are often added. Fried shallots and fish roe (fish eggs) are also popular additions. If you're a vegetarian, tofu is used instead of fish meat.
How Fish Soup Bee Hoon is Made
Making fish soup bee hoon involves a few steps. First, the fish is either boiled or fried. Then, it's added to a bowl of hot fish soup.
The soup itself is boiled for about twenty minutes. Some chefs make a special broth by boiling fish or pork bones for several hours. This long-boiled broth creates a very rich and flavorful base for the soup. The dish is always served hot, ready to be enjoyed!
Why Singaporeans Love It
Fish soup bee hoon is a very important dish in Singapore. One writer said that it's as special to Singaporeans as a dish called char kway teow is to people in Penang, Malaysia.
Catherine Ling of CNN called it one of the "40 Singapore foods we can't live without." In 2012, a place called Jin Hua Fish Head Bee Hoon was even named the best fish soup bee hoon store in Singapore by Time Out Singapore magazine. This shows just how much people love this tasty and comforting dish!
