Milkfish belly soup

What it is

Milkfish belly soup (虱目魚肚湯, often just 魚肚湯) is a clear soup holding a piece of milkfish belly, the softest and fattiest cut of the fish. Milkfish is full of fine bones, so the belly is usually sold deboned. The broth is light, often seasoned with shredded ginger and spring onion, and in Tainan it is a breakfast staple.

Where it came from

Milkfish (虱目魚) has been farmed in Taiwan for more than 300 years. The usual account says the Dutch brought the farming method from Indonesia in the 17th century. Ponds now line the southwest coast from Yunlin to Pingtung, and only tilapia outranks milkfish in Taiwanese aquaculture.

Where the name 虱目 comes from is disputed. A popular legend says Koxinga asked villagers what fish this was (啥乜魚), and the words sounded like 虱目, which is also why the fish is called 國姓魚 ("Koxinga's fish"). Other theories trace it to a Siraya word recorded in the General History of Taiwan (臺灣通史), or to Spanish or Japanese fish names. None is proven.

The belly became the prized cut because it carries the fat, while most of the bones sit in the back. Global Views counts about 220 bones in a fish, and many southern farmers send their fish to processors to have them removed. Tainan's farming households relied on a filling breakfast, and milkfish soup and congee are still eaten early in the morning there.

How it is made

Shops build the broth on fish bones. Some use only milkfish bones, others add oysters. The belly is cut from the fish, deboned and poached briefly with shredded ginger, spring onion and sometimes a splash of rice wine. Some cooks skim off the fat for a cleaner taste, and some add milkfish balls. The same cut is also pan-fried, or cooked into Tainan-style congee, where the rice grains stay separate in the broth.

How to eat it

In Tainan it is eaten early, and some shops open at 4 or 5 a.m. Have it with plain rice, braised pork rice or youtiao (油條, fried dough sticks). Shops often also sell milkfish skin soup, fried fish intestines and congee. The belly can usually be ordered in soup or pan-fried.