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| Type | Soup |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | China |
| Region or state | Henan |
| Hot and sour soup | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Chinese | 酸辣湯 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 酸辣汤 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | "Sour and hot soup" | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Hot and sour soup is a popular example ofChinese cuisine. Although it is often said to have originated inSichuan, this is actually a variant ofhulatang or "pepper hot soup" (Chinese:胡辣汤) with added vinegar to enhance the sourness. This variation is foundHenan cuisine.[1][2][3] Also popular inSoutheast Asia,India,Pakistan and theUnited States, it is a flexible soup which allows ingredients to be substituted or added depending on availability. For example, the American-Chinese version can be thicker as it commonly includes corn starch, while inJapan,sake is often added.
Soup preparation may use chicken or pork broth, or may use meat-free broth. Common basic ingredients in theAmerican Chinese version includebamboo shoots,toasted sesame oil,wood ear mushrooms,cloud ear mushrooms,day lily buds,vinegar,egg,corn starch, andwhite pepper.[4] Other ingredients includebutton mushrooms,shiitake mushrooms, orstraw mushrooms and small slices oftofu skin.[5] It is thicker than the Chinese cuisine versions due to the addition of cornstarch.
There are myths surrounding the origin of "hot and sour soup," with the most popular one claiming it is from Sichuan. There is a similarly named dish made fromglass noodles called "hot and sour noodles" (Chinese:酸辣粉), but it is quite different from "hot and sour soup"(Chinese:酸辣汤). It is vastly different in ingredients, cooking and consuming. For instance, the spiciness in this noodle dish mainly comes from chilli andSichuan pepper, rather than black pepper, which is not very common in Sichuan cuisine.[6] In fact, the form of "hot and sour soup" can barely be found in Sichuan.
"Hot and sour soup" is claimed by the cuisine ofBeijing. The Chinese hot and sour soup is usually meat-based, and often contains ingredients such asday lily buds,wood ear fungus,bamboo shoots, andtofu, in a broth that is sometimes flavored withpork blood.[7] Sometimes, the soup would also have carrots and pieces of pork. It is typically made hot (spicy) bywhite pepper, and sour byZhenjiang vinegar.
Japanese hot and sour soup is made with the traditionaldashi broth flavored with vinegar, soy sauce andsake, and may includeshiitake mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and red chilis. The soup is thickened with eggs and potato starch.[8]
In India, this soup is made with red and green chillies, ginger, carrots, snow peas, tofu, soy sauce,rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. It is viewed in India as being a Chinese soup.[9]
Hot and sour soup is usually made inPakistan with chicken, carrots, cabbage, chillies, corn flour, eggs, vinegar, soy sauce and salt.[10] It may also contain bean sprout andcapsicum.[11]
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Samlor machu pkong is aCambodian sour soup flavored with lemon, chilis,prawns and/orshrimp. One of the most popular sour soups in Cambodia, it is eaten most often on special occasions.
Samlar machu yuon (សម្លរម្ជូរយួន) is another common hot and sour soup that originated in theMekong Delta region. It is made with fish, usuallymudfish,walking catfish ortilapia, that has first been fried or broiled then added to the broth. Chicken may also be substituted. The ingredients which give the stew its characteristic flavor may vary depending on what is available locally to the cook. Possible ingredients include various combinations of pineapple, tomato,ngo gai, fried garlic, papaya,lotus root,Asian basil (ជីក្រហម) andBird's eye chili.
Tom yum is aThai soup flavored withlemon grass,lime,kaffir lime leaves,galangal,fish sauce andchilis.[12]
Sour curry (Thai:แกงส้ม,romanized: kaeng som) is a soup-like spicy and sourThai curry.
There are numerous sour soup dishes in thePhilippines using souring agents that range fromtamarind to unripemangoes,guavas,butterfly tree leaves (alibangbang), citruses (including the nativecalamansi andbiasong),santol,bilimbi (kamias oriba),gooseberry tree fruits (karmay),binukaw fruits (alsobatuan), andlibas fruits, among others.[13][14] Most of these dishes are included in the umbrella termsinigang, but there are other regional dishes likesinampalukan,pinangat na isda,cansi, andlinarang which are cooked slightly differently.[15][16][17][18][19] The dishes are related to thepaksiw class of dishes which are soured usingvinegar.[20] There is also theChinese Filipino dish, known as 'Hot and Sour Soup' inEnglish and inHokkienChinese:酸辣湯／四川酸辣湯;Pe̍h-ōe-jī:Sng-loa̍h-thng / Sì-chhoan Sng-loa̍h-thng orMandarinChinese:酸辣湯／四川酸辣湯;pinyin:Suānlàtāng / Sìchuān suānlàtāng in Chinese menus ofChinese restaurants across the Philippines.[21][22][23]
Canh chua (literally "sour soup"), a sour soup indigenous to theMekong River region of southernVietnam. It is typically made with fish from the Mekong River or shrimp,pineapple,tomatoes (and sometimes also other vegetables), andbean sprouts, and flavored withtamarind and the lemony-scented herbngò ôm (Limnophila aromatica). When made in style of ahot pot,canh chua is calledlẩu canh chua.
sour soup pork blood.
