Deep-Fried Set Broth Cubes 糕渣

Deep-Fried Set Broth Cubes (糕渣) are a fried snack from Yilan (宜蘭), made by cooking a pork-and-shrimp paste into chicken broth, cooling the mixture until it sets, and frying the cut pieces.

How it is made

Pork loin and peeled shrimp are chopped into a paste and mixed with cornstarch, potato starch and flour. The paste is added to chicken broth and cooked into a thick soup. This is poured into a mould and left to cool into a meat jelly. The cooled block is cut into pieces, coated with potato starch and deep-fried until golden.

Where it comes from

Chinese Wikipedia traces the dish to a corresponding preparation in Fuzhou (福州) cuisine and identifies Luodong Night Market (羅東夜市) among its Yilan selling places. It describes an exterior that feels cool around scalding juices inside, giving the reason for tasting it in small bites.