Pork ball facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pork ball
A bowl of pork ball soup
Traditional Chinese	貢丸
Simplified Chinese	贡丸
Literal meaning	pounded balls
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin gòngwán Southern Min Hokkien POJ kòng-ôan
Alternative Chinese name
Traditional Chinese	摃丸
Simplified Chinese	扛丸
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin n/a Southern Min Hokkien POJ kòng-ôan

A pork ball is a type of meatball popular in Chinese cooking. It's made from finely ground pork, mixed with a little bit of starch. Sometimes, people add cuttlefish to make them extra chewy and give them a special flavor.

What Are Pork Balls?

Pork balls are a common and tasty food in many parts of Asia. You can find them in Taiwan, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia (especially in Bali), and Thailand. They are a favorite snack or meal for many people.

Where Do Pork Balls Come From?

Pork balls are super popular in the city of Hsinchu in Taiwan. They even have a festival there every year just for pork balls!

The name "pork ball" comes from the Taiwanese language. The original word meant "to pound with a mallet" (like hitting something with a hammer) and "ball." This is because the pork is traditionally pounded to get the right texture. However, the first part of the name is often written with a different Chinese character that means "tribute" or "gifts." This is because its sound in Mandarin Chinese is very similar to the original Taiwanese word.

How Are Pork Balls Eaten?

In Taiwan, pork balls are most often served in a soup called gongwan tang. This soup is usually a clear broth, which is a light, flavorful liquid. It's often topped with fresh coriander leaves and chopped green onions.

You can also find pork balls in many different kinds of noodle soup. For example, they are a common ingredient in cart noodles and other soups in Hong Kong. In Vietnam, pork balls (called thịt heo viên) might be roasted until they are golden brown or served with a yummy tomato sauce.