Fishcake facts for kids
Fishcake with salad.
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| Place of origin | East Asia |
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| Main ingredients | Fish, potato, breadcrumbs or batter |
A fishcake is a yummy dish made from fish or other seafood. The fish is usually chopped up or ground, mixed with something starchy like potato or flour, and then fried until it's golden brown.
In Asia, fishcakes often contain fish mixed with salt, water, flour, and egg. They can also include a special fish paste called surimi. European-style fishcakes are a bit like a croquette. They are made with fish or seafood and a potato patty. Sometimes, they are coated in breadcrumbs or batter before frying. Fishcakes are a great way to use up leftovers so food doesn't go to waste!
Contents
History
China
Fishcakes have a long history in China, going back more than 4000 years! One old story tells of an emperor named Emperor Shun. He was traveling with his two wives, who became tired and lost their appetites. A fisherman named Bo offered them his fishcakes. The wives loved them, and their appetites returned! Emperor Shun was so happy that he asked Bo to teach everyone how to make fishcakes. This made fishcakes very popular across China.
Later, during the Qing dynasty (1875-1908), a special kind of fishcake became famous. The wife of Emperor Guangxu, named Zheng, loved fishcakes. She brought the recipe into the Forbidden City, where the royal family lived. The royal cooks made the recipe even better. Zheng's fishcakes became very well-known, but sadly, they disappeared after she passed away.
Korea
Fishcakes from Japan came to Korea when Japan occupied Korea (1910–1945). The first factory to make eomuk (Korean fishcakes) in South Korea opened in Busan in the 1950s.
In 1953, a man named Park Jae-Deok learned how to make eomuk from Japan. He started Samjin Fish Cake, which is the oldest fishcake company in Korea. This was right after the Korean War, and many people moved to Busan. This helped the eomuk business grow a lot.
In the early 1990s, Busan-eomuk became very popular. These were long, sausage-shaped fishcakes sold from food trucks. Since the trucks often served eomuk with hot broth, it became a favorite fast food in winter. Even today, you can easily find eomuk food trucks in Korean cities.
Around 2010, eomuk changed from being seen as just a fast food to a special treat. In 2013, Samjin Fish Cake opened the first eomuk bakery in South Korea. This helped make eomuk a unique and respected food. Other fishcake makers also started changing their stores and adding new items to their menus to stay popular.
What are Fishcakes Made Of?
Fishcakes often used to be made with cod. But because there are fewer cod now, other white fish like haddock or whiting are used. Sometimes, oily fish like salmon are used, which gives the fishcakes a very different taste.
Some fishcakes are made without breadcrumbs or batter. They are simply a mix of cooked fish, potatoes, and sometimes eggs. This mix is shaped into patties and then fried.
Since people living near seas, rivers, and lakes have always eaten a lot of fish, many different kinds of fishcakes have developed around the world.
The way fishcakes are made can change a lot. It depends on the type of fish, how finely the fish is chopped, if milk or water is used, if flour or potatoes are used, and if eggs are added. The cooking method (boiling, frying, or baking) also varies. Other ingredients like shrimp, bacon, herbs, or spices can also be added.
Bermuda
In Bermuda, fishcakes are called Bermuda fishcakes. They are especially popular during Easter, but people eat them all year. They are often enjoyed inside hot cross buns.
Canada
In Newfoundland and Labrador, fishcakes are usually made with salted cod. This is mixed with mashed potatoes and a herb called summer savory. Minced onions are also added. The cakes are shaped into rounds and cooked in oil until golden brown.
Caribbean
In Barbados, fishcakes are made from salted codfish. They are mixed with herbs, onions, other seasonings, and a flour batter. Then, they are fried in oil.
Denmark
In Denmark, fiskefrikadeller are fishcakes that are a bit long and fried in a pan. They are similar to regular meat patties. They usually don't have a breadcrumb coating. A similar dish, called fiskeboller, is boiled instead of fried and added to soups.
India
In West Bengal, India, many local river fish are used to make deep-fried fishcakes. These are covered in breadcrumbs and called maacher chop. They are a very popular appetizer during celebrations for middle-class Bengali families.
Indonesia
In South Sumatra, Indonesia, fishcakes are known as pempek or empek-empek. Traditional pempek is served with a special "vinegar sauce" called kuah cuka. These fishcakes are usually round or shaped like tubes.
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Pempek bangka
Israel
In Jewish cuisine, gefilte fish are patties made from white fish. They are mixed with matzoh or challah (types of bread) and then poached (gently cooked in liquid) in the fish's skin.
Japan
In Japan, white fish is mashed into a paste called surimi. This paste is then steamed into a loaf called kamaboko. Fried fishcakes are also popular, such as Satsuma-age. These often have onions, burdock, minced squid, and shrimp added to them.
Japanese fishcakes are commonly made from surimi, which is mainly fish meat mixed with Mirin (a type of rice wine), starch, egg whites, and spices. After they are shaped, they are usually fried or boiled before being packaged.
South Korea
In South Korea, fishcakes are called eomuk (어묵) or odeng (오뎅). They are mostly made from fish like corvina or cuttlefish, which don't have much fat. Salt, sugar, flour, and starch are always used. Other ingredients like onions, carrots, green onions, and cooking wine can also be added for flavor.
Eomuk is usually made by deep-frying fish paste. It can be boiled with other ingredients to make eomuk-tang (어묵탕; "fishcake soup") or eomuk-jeongol (어묵전골; "fishcake hot pot"). It can also be stir-fried to make eomuk-bokkeum (어묵볶음) or added to dishes like jjigae and gimbap.
You can often buy eomuk from street carts. It's usually served on a skewer in a hot broth. The broth is sometimes given to customers in paper cups for dipping or drinking. "Hot bar" is another type of eomuk sold in cold weather. It's also on a stick but is deep-fried instead of boiled. Hot bars can be plain, mixed with vegetables like diced carrot, or served with sauces like ketchup and mustard.
Myanmar
In Myanmar, fishcakes are made from the meat of the bronze featherback fish, called ngaphe (Burmese: ငါးဖယ်). Fishermen often scrape the fish meat to sell. The meat is pounded many times with herbs and spices to make it chewy. Then, it's shaped into small patties and fried, like other Burmese fritters.
Norway
In Norway, "fiskekaker" are made much like the Danish fiskefrikadeller. They are fried and served with potatoes or pasta, broccoli, and grated carrots. They often come with brown sauce instead of white sauce.
The type of fish used depends on what's available. Fish like Pollock, haddock, herring, and even salmon or trout are used. They are often named after the fish they are made from, like "Seikaker" or "Lakseburger".
Portugal
In Portugal, pastéis de bacalhau (codfish pasties) are a very popular type of fishcake. These pasties are made from potato, codfish (bacalhau), parsley, and eggs.
Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, bacalaítos are eaten as a snack or as part of a meal.
Romania
In Romania, fishcakes are called chiftele de peşte and are made with carp fish.
Singapore
In Singapore, fishcakes and fish balls are made from one or more kinds of fish. They can also have starch, other seasonings, or food coloring. According to government rules, fishcakes must have at least 40% fish.
Homemade fish balls and fishcakes can be made using fish paste bought from a store or made at home. Fish paste sold in stores must contain more than one type of fish. Homemade fishcakes are often made from mackerel because it tastes sweeter and is easy to prepare. The fish paste is often mixed in food processors or traditionally thrown against a bowl to make the fishcakes bouncy. They are then shaped by hand or in molds and stored in the fridge or freezer.
Saint Helena
In Saint Helena, fishcakes are made from local tuna or wahoo. The fish is scraped and mixed with mashed potato, herbs, and spices. Then, it's shaped into cakes and fried. They are often spicy!
Sweden
In Sweden, canned fiskbullar (fish balls) are very common. Unlike fiskefrikadeller, they are boiled, not fried, so they are almost entirely white.
Thailand
In Thai cuisine, the fish is first mashed and then mixed with chopped yardlong beans, fresh cilantro, fish sauce, kaffir lime leaves, red curry paste, and an egg. This mixture is deep-fried and usually served with a sweet chili dipping sauce. These Thot man pla have become popular all over the world.
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Thot man pla at a market in Chiang Mai
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Steamed fish cake
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United Kingdom
In England, especially in Lancashire and parts of Yorkshire, a "chippy fishcake" is a special kind of fishcake served in many fish and chip shops. It has two slices of potato with fish pieces in between, all deep-fried in batter. These can also be called scallop fishcakes or fish patties. Another type is the "parsley cake," sold in some fish and chip shops in West Yorkshire. It's made of minced fish, mashed potato, and fresh parsley, coated in breadcrumbs, and deep-fried.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, fishcakes are made from fresh fish, sometimes with flour. They can be either fried or steamed/boiled.
Philippines
In the Philippines, fishcake is a popular street food. It's also used as a topping for dishes like noodle soup. Fish balls are eaten as street food, usually on a skewer or in a cup, with a dipping sauce. They are typically ball-shaped or cylinder-shaped. Kikiam is another type, prepared almost like an eggroll. It's a mix of fish and/or shrimp and ground pork, wrapped in bean curd skin, then steamed and fried.
Nutrition
Fishcakes get most of their nutrients from the freshwater fish they are made from. Asian-style fishcakes are usually high in protein and calcium, and low in fat. For example, 100 grams of Japanese fishcakes (kamaboko) has about 113.6 calories. It contains protein, some carbohydrates, and very little fat.
Western fishcakes or patties are similar in nutrition to Asian ones, but they usually have a bit more fat. For example, 100 grams of Western fishcakes or patties has about 201 calories. They also provide protein, carbohydrates, and some fat. The exact amounts can change based on how they are made and what ingredients are used.
Common Dishes
Fishcakes are cooked in different ways depending on the country.
In North America, fishcakes are often pan-fried and served as appetizers (small dishes before the main meal). In Asia, they are often boiled in soups or served with noodles. Some common Asian dishes that use fishcakes include udon noodles, fish cake soup, and fish ball noodles. They can also be served on their own as a side dish.
How Fishcakes are Made
When fishcakes are made in factories, the fish meat is first thawed (if frozen) and then ground up. After grinding, the fish meat and all other ingredients are mixed together very quickly. Salt, sugar, flour, and starch are usually added. It's good to add salt that is about 3% of the fish's weight. Other ingredients like vegetables (onions, carrots, or green onions) or flavor enhancers can be added if allowed by local rules.
Next, the fish paste is shaped. Then, it is baked or deep-fried. To keep fishcakes fresh and safe, they are heated during baking or frying to get rid of any harmful germs. For example, in Canada, fishcakes must be heated to 65°C (149°F) for one minute to destroy bacteria like salmonella. After they are cooked, the fishcakes are packaged and ready to be delivered.
Storage
Fishcakes are often sold in fish markets. To keep them fresh, they are sometimes sold in bags filled with water. These fishcakes are usually not fried and are often used in soups.
How long fishcakes stay fresh can vary a lot. It depends on how they are made and how they are stored. Their shelf life can range from about 12 days to 90 days.
See also
In Spanish: Fishcake para niños
