“I’m kind of a Chinese puzzler,” Toman said. Prepare the vegetables (bittergourd, lettuce & tomato) and tofu. I noticed that all the listed fish above except Toman (Snakehead) are saltwater fish and I got curious. Scientifically, it's also said that this fish contains all the essential amino acids for wound healing, particularly glycine, and polyunsaturated fatty acids to … to fish for / to obtain slyly / classifier for sets, collections / bend (of a river or mountain range, in place names) / tau (Greek letter Ττ) fish translate: 魚；魚肉, 搜查, 摸找，翻找，搜尋, 拐彎抹角地引出；間接探聽, 動物, 捕（魚）；釣（魚）. ), Also known as: Spanish Mackerel (English), 马鲛鱼 Ma Jiao Yu (Mandarin), Ma Kau Yu (Cantonese), Ikan Tenggiri (Malay). And finally, we will also tell you the general cooking method for each fish. Usually you won’t see the whole fish at the market because people either buy the head or the tail section, and not the whole fish. Claim to Fame: The quintessential fish for Teochew-style steamed fish, and especially so during Chinese New Year where strong demand can cause prices to skyrocket to $100 per kg from the usual $20-$30 per kg. Thank you very much for showing us how to choose fish and the recipe. Really love to learn them. So it’s a norm… Read more ». Do not confuse Crimson Snapper with Emperor Red Snapper (see item 4). GET RECIPE FOR SLICED FISH MEE SUA (LONGEVITY NOODLES), Also known as: 红鸡 Hóng jī (Mandarin), Ang Kuey (Hokkien), Ikan Merah (Malay). Filed Under: Ingredient Guides, Popular Tagged With: Fish. Local Malay Name: Ikan Toman Local Hokkien: Toman Common Name: Emperor Snakehead Scientific Name: Channa marulioides (Bleeker, 1851) Mandarin Name: 似眼鳢 (Shì yǎn lǐ) Local Malay Name: Ikan Haruan Kerandang, Toman Bunga Common Name: Snakehead Murrel, Striped Snakehead Scientific Name: Channa striata (Bloch, 1793) Mandarin Name: 线鳢 (Xiàn lǐ), 生鱼 (Shēng yú) Local Malay Name: … Crimson Snapper is well known in culinary circles for its fine and firm texture. First of all, I really enjoyed the article and appreciate it a lot. Compared to the pinkish colour of the Crimson Snapper, the Emperor Red Snapper is a vibrant salmon pink colour and is much larger than the Crimson Snapper. I enjoyed reading your post. CHEERS! Chinese names: 藍點馬鮫, 正馬加, 尖頭馬加, 馬嘉. You can identify it by its diamond shape with dull silver, pewter coloured body. In addition, Tua Ban has a longer tail, shorter head and a more rounded body than Batang. When buying Batang, make sure that the flesh is slightly pinkish, not whitish in colour. The Emperor Red Snapper also has a distinctive arch in the head that makes it easily distinguishable from the Crimson Snapper. So much so I would place this fish at number 4 on my all-time fish wishlist (Turbot, fresh poached Salmon, Cod [fish 'n chips], Wong Fa Yue, Sardines in that order). But as the usual advocator of Chinese home cooked foods, I decide to incorporate Mizkan Sesame Sauce into some Toman Fish Fillets and did a simple stir fried of it with ginger and chilli padi and serve it simply with plain white rice or congee. Some of them may seem pretty logical but others are like “well it looks like big mouse but it has a pouch, so well pouch-mouse it is” and that’s how we get to the Chinese word for Kangaroo. What do you think? Deep man* Our salmon and cod is imported frozen and then thawed for sale, but usually you can still tell from the colour and texture of the thawed fish, whether or not it is fresh . We believe in teaching you the secret sauce behind each recipe. If you're using the conventional method of steaming fish in a wok, you'll need 7 - 10 mins typically depending on the thickness of your fish slices. Indeed a must-have guide to know more about the common local fish that we eat! Image credits: iStock. Claim to fame: Batang is the typical fish steak used for pan-frying, and for making sliced fish soup and sliced fish porridge. Amazon, the Amazon logo, AmazonSupply, and the AmazonSupply logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Here are 7 Chinese New Year Foods that will bring you good luck. So there you have it, the 10 most common local fish that every self-proclaimed and self-respecting foodie must know! stingraytan. Well known for its wound healing properties and highly sought after especially for women who have just undergone ‘C’ section or anyone who has recently undergone surgery. Pan-fried fish with soy sauce is one of the most classic Chinese recipe to enjoy white fish. But we are after all an island city, so getting to choose fresh fish and seafood is something quite fun for us. I am still in the process of doing others as well. Claim to fame: One of the most common whole steamed fish served in Chinese restaurants with ginger, spring onions and soya sauce. By the end of this guide, you will know which local fishes goes into your Nasi Lemak, Fishhead Curry and Fishball Noodles! Also do not confuse Crimson Snapper with Golden Snapper (Ang Zho in Hokkien, 红皂 (Hóng zào), 红潮 (Hóng cháo), which is another popular table-sized fish for steaming that tastes similar to the Crimson Snapper. Soup Name: Simple Tomato Fish Soup Traditional Chinese Name: 番茄魚湯 (fān qié yú tāng) Introduction: Tomatoes are the ideal partner in fish soups. Here we focus Red Grouper, one of the most popular fish within the Grouper family among the Chinese, because of its auspicious red colour. Mandarin fish live in still water and move to deep water in winter. Claim to fame: Popular table sized fish used for steamboat or Cantonese-styled steamed fish for home cooking. Mostly the Chinese dialect ones, but of course there are the informal names, Malay names and such. This restaurant style Chinese Steamed Sea Bass is a popular recipe in many Chinese homes for special occasions, and most certainly, during the reunion dinner on the eve of the Chinese New Year. Chinese Steamed Sea Bass. There are two types of Ngor Her: the economical version (known simply as Ngor Her) has a black and white pattern on its skin; and the premium version (known as. The bones are usually snapped up very early in the morning. Please note, CantoDict currently supports searching for Simplified Chinese, but results will be returned in Traditional Chinese. When one wants to look up the fish on the internet, there isn't always a reference to the local vernacular. Last updated on August 30, 2019 By Melissa | The Undercover Chef 12 Comments. You can identify it by its pinkish body and red eyes. Chanced upon your site while researching on the type of fish to use for papaya fish soup! Ikan Kuning is also known as ‘the poor man’s fish’, I guess because of its affordability especially for large families. Also the blood clots around the bone should be fresh red in colour (see photo of Batang cross-section below). Read more! In general, a cooked serving provides about 20g of protein (about one third of the average recommended daily intake for an adult), plus less than 160 calories and 100mg of cholesterol. Or is it freshwater fish are much expensive than saltwater fish? Hi Jean, thank you for your kind comment! This earthy recipe is perfect for a holiday feast. The Song fish is a filter feeder, feeding mainly on suspended plankton. 150-200 grams toman fish fillet* bones & scales removed then sliced thinly diagonally 1 serving steamed white rice per bowl; 1 tsp “dong cai” (冬菜) rinsed; per bowl * Besides toman (aka snakehead 生魚), you can use other fish such as red grouper, batang, pomfret and threadfin. If you want to find out more about it's pharmacological and nutritional info, go here. If you are buying Threadfin for your baby’s first food, let the fishmonger know and they will remove the bones for you. The meat is sweet and it is expensive during Chinese New Year because it is used for Yue Sang. She loves writing about her cooking learning journey as she photographs, films and documents the craft of making delicious and authentic local dishes. How much does it cost? We are Bee Leng & Melissa, the mother-daughter team behind The Burning Kitchen. Ikan Kuning is good for frying especially if it is coated with tumeric powder or paprika and a little salt, whereas Ikan Selar is often served at the peranakan restaurants grilled with sambal belachan chilli stuffed inside the fish. The perch has an elongated body with medium-sized scales. Hi! Singapore has also started fishfarming with garoupa and seabass with saltwater to grow our fish supplies. Chinese believe that eating fresh water snakehead fish {aka haruan fish} helps in post-surgical wound healing and reduces pain & inflammation. Also known as: Yellowstripe Scad or Yellow-Banded Scad (English), 君令Jun Ling (Chinese). Because these local fish all feature extensively in our Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine, and more likely than not, you will be consuming some of this delicious local fishes at some point or another in the next two weeks! Chinese Name: 水马溜鱼 (Shuǐ mǎ liū yú), 大鱗裂峽魮 (Dà lín liè xiá pí) Local Malay Name: Ikan Sebarau Common Name: Hoven's Carp, Mad Barb, Red Finned Cigar Shark, Sultan Fish Scientific Name: Leptobarbus hoevenii (Bleeker, 1851) Chinese Name: 细鲃 (Xì bā), 白苏丹 (Bái sūdān), 苏丹鱼 (Sūdān yú) Given that I don't usually eat any Chinese fish - I ate a whole 1-foot monster myself at one sitting! First published 2013. The fish is an introduced species to some countries such as Uzbekistan. You need to beat the crowd to avoid disappointment. More often than not, we often notice Sesame sauce being used in salads and greens as a salad dressing. Leave us comments to tell us which local fishes you think should be part of the top 10 list! However I changed my mind and used them to stir-fry with fresh shitake mushrooms. Chinese-style Steamed Toman Fillet Ingredients: Toman fish fillet (snakehead) - some salt and white pepper, rubbed gently on the fish + lightly marinate with 1tsp rice wine + 3 drops of sesame oil + 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce; sliced ginger; sliced green onion,; tomato - cut … Interviews with local fishmongers 2. Instead we will focus on ‘local knowledge’: like why these fish have a ‘claim to fame’ in our local cuisine, and the colloquial names for these fish, which can be confusing because some of the fish has many names that may or may not suit their description! Also known as: 斗鲳 Dòu Chāng (Mandarin), Dao Chior (Hokkien), Dao Cheong (Cantonese), Ikan Bawal Tambak (Malay). This guide is written in a fun and light hearted style, so we hope it will be an easy, fun and non-technical read for the average Singaporean and Malaysian foodie. Chinese-style Steamed Toman Fillet Ingredients: Toman fish fillet (snakehead) - some salt and white pepper, rubbed gently on the fish + lightly marinate with 1tsp rice wine + 3 drops of sesame oil + 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce; sliced ginger; sliced green onion,; tomato - cut … Mention Chinese New Year food, dumplings, fish, glutinous rice balls, and niangao may come into mind. Toman fish generally has not much taste on its own. Many would have tasted the Toman fish already as it is widely used in various local dishes from fish … You can easily identify it by its lack of scales and thick rubbery silver skin (traits of the Mackerel family), as well as its black vertical stripes (unlike Mackerel and Tua Ban which both have black spots rather than stripes). The bone, when boiled with green unripened papaya as a soup, is a milk booster especially for mothers who have a low supply of breast milk. So you just need to pick the piece that you want. It took a while to take the photographs and put everything together, but here is it, our list of the top 10 most common local fishes that every self-proclaimed and self-respecting foodie must know. Thks so much for the wonderful guide, found it super useful and informative ???????????????????????? This word has been viewed 2713 times since 30th Oct 2012, was added by bybell on 27th Oct 2005 04:16 and last, Remove Adverts and gain lots of extra features, traditional script font which you may need to install, the meaning of the word, typed in by our volunteer editors, guidelines on whether the word can only be used in Spoken Cantonese etc (if nothing is present the word may be used in both Cantonese and Mandarin), our arbitrarily assigned difficulty level, a smaller version of the character in a computerised, printed font, a list of each of the characters for the word, showing jyutping and meaning (if our dictionary contains that character). 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