Description
A street snack where highly elastic cuttlefish balls (Huazhi Wan) made of white fish and squid paste are deep-fried crispy and eaten with salt and pepper.
Restaurants serving Deep-fried Cuttlefish Balls
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We are researching restaurants that serve this dish.
On this site you can check dictionary details and, later, places to buy or eat related items.
The Recipe section below is a general reference, not a recipe from the listed shops.
Recipe
Ingredients
- Huazhi Wan(Frozen cuttlefish balls)
- Taiwanese basil
- White pepper
- Salt
- Frying oil
Instructions
- [Authentic Recipe]
- [Huazhi Wan Prep] Roughly chop fresh kisslip cuttlefish (Huazhi), mix with white fish paste, egg white, sweet potato flour (Digua Fen), salt, and sugar, kneading thoroughly until sticky (using store-bought frozen 'Huazhi Wan' is common).
- Shape round keeping squid bits intact, boil briefly to draw out elasticity.
- Drop these boiled squid balls directly (unbattered) into hot 180°C oil.
- Fry until the surface is lightly golden and the balls puff up tightly and float.
- Right before done, toss in a little 'Jiucengta (Taiwanese basil)' to flash-fry.
- Drain, skewer 3-
- balls on a bamboo stick, and sprinkle with special 'Jiao Yan Fen' (five-spice, white pepper, salt blend).
Learn more Spice, substitutes, tips
Key spices
Five-spice and Taiwanese basil aroma
Substitutes at Japanese supermarkets
Japanese squid or shrimp balls (inferior elasticity)
Pairing
Tapioca Tea or Fruit juice
Trivia
[For Youth] A hugely popular item always sold frozen at Taiwanese grocers in Shin-Okubo. Completely different from Japanese fish cakes, it boasts rubber-ball-like elasticity and chunky squid bite, making it the ultimate walking snack.
Eating tips & etiquette
[Unique Eating] Bite the hot skewered cuttlefish ball to enjoy the intense 'bouncy!' pushback, tearing off Taiwanese basil to stuff in your cheeks together!
Allergen
Squid, Seafood (Fish paste), Egg, Soy