Soups in East Asian culture are eaten as one of the many main dishes in a meal or in some cases served straight with little adornment, particular attention is paid to the soups' stocks. In the case of some soups, the stock ingredients become part of the soup. They are usually based solely onbroths and lacking in dairy products such asmilk orcream. If thickened, the thickening usually consists of refined starches fromcorn orsweet potatoes.
Asian soups are generally categorized as either savoury or sweet.[citation needed] The quality of a savoury soup is determined mainly by its fragrance andumami or "xian" flavour, as well as, to a lesser extent, its mouthfeel.Sweet soups such astong sui are enjoyed for their aroma,mouthfeel, andaftertaste.[citation needed] Many soups are eaten and drunk as much for their flavour as for their health benefits and touted for their purported revitalizing or invigorating effects.
In Chinese language,noodle soups are generally considered a noodle dish instead of a soup, as evidenced by the fact that they are called "soup noodles" (湯麵), with 'soup' being an adjective, in contrast with "dry noodles" (乾麵).
Many soups are consumed as a partial restorative and heavily linked with theories fromtraditional Chinese medicine. Exotic rarities liketiger penis soup fall in this category. There are many varieties of such tonic soups, ranging from pungent to light in flavour, and from savoury to sweet.[1] Some soups of the same name may consist of different recipes due to regional preferences or differences. Such soups commonly contain one or more meats (typically pork or chicken), vegetables, and medicinal herbs.
Jītāng (鸡汤;雞湯;Jītāng; 'chicken soup'): A basic chicken broth that is used in creating most Chinese soups. This broth is sometimes fortified withliquorice root, red dates,wolfberry, and otherChinese herbs.
Shòuròutāng (瘦肉汤;瘦肉湯;shòu ròu tāng; 'lean meat soup'): A lean pork broth, which is often used as the soup base for long-simmered Chinese soups (called老火湯 in Cantonese). This soup base is often simmered over low heat for several hours with other roots, dried herbs, vegetables, and edible fungi likeshiitake mushroom,white fungus, orwood ear.[3] The Cantonese are especially known for their long-simmered Chinese soups, as they often pair ingredients under Chinese Medicine concepts to enhance health benefits of the soup.
Báitāng (白汤;白湯;báitāng; 'white soup'): Made from lightly blanched pork bones that have been vigorously boiled for several hours, creating a white milky broth. This broth has a rich mouthfeel and deep flavor.
Yútāng (鱼汤;魚湯;yú tāng; 'fish soup'): Made from fish that have been fried and boiled for several hours, creating a white milky broth. This broth has a rich feel, and sweet umami taste.
Máotāng (毛汤;毛湯;máo tāng; 'hair soup'): A broth made using the bones, meat offcuts, or skin of either pork, duck, or chicken. A commonly broth used for simple flavouring of common dishes.
Refined broth/stocks:
Shàngtāng (上汤;上湯;shàng tāng; 'high soup'): A dark tan broth made fromJinhua ham, pork, and chicken that has been slowly simmered to finish. This rich and umami broth is used in the creation of many expensive soups such asshark fin soup orwonton soup.
Diàotāng (吊汤;吊湯;diào tāng; 'hang soup'): A filtered white broth made through vigorous boiling of bones and chicken that has been clarified using pureed or finely minced chicken breast meat. Repeating the clarification and infusion process with more minced chicken produces a double-clarified broth (双吊汤;雙吊湯;shuāng diào tāng; 'double hang soup' ). The white broth can also be clarified using egg white or blood but the taste will not be optimal.[4] Used in theSichuan dishkaishui baicai (开水白菜;開水白菜;kāishuǐ báicài dà jiēmì; 'boiled cabbage').[5]
Ingredients used in making Chinese stocks can be recooked again to produce a thinner broth with less intense flavours, known asertang (二汤;二湯;èr tāng; 'second soup').
Collectively known asdashi, most Japanese soup bases are flavoured primarily withkombu (kelp) andshavings from dried skipjack tuna (katsuobushi). They are soaked or simmered to release the umami flavours of the shavings, and the resulting broth is strained.Mirin is occasionally added to the broth to further enhance the taste of the broth.
Kombu: Kelp (kombu) is soaked in lukewarm water or simmered to yield a light broth.
Niboshi: made by soaking or boiling dried sardines (niboshi) in water. The heads and entrails are usually pinched off prior to soaking, to prevent bitterness.
Korean broth is collectively known asyuksu(K:육수 T:肉水). Although the literal definition is meaty water,yuksu can be used to include broth made by vegetable equivalent. Each kinds of broth will be used for diverse range of Korean soup.
A bowl ofseolleongtang
Myeolchi Yuksu (멸치 육수) is a clear broth made from boiling dried Korean anchovies.Dashima (kelp) could be boiled together to enhance its flavour. It is most common type of broth that can be used for most of the simple Korean soup and noodle dishes.
Gogi Yuksu (고기 육수)means a clear broth from boiling meat, which could be beef, chicken, or pork. It is often used to replace the basicMyeolchi Yuksu to give more flavour.
Sagol Yuksu (사골 육수) is a milky broth made from boiling bones for a long period of time. It is often used to make hearthy and meaty Korean soup such asgamja tang (감자탕).
Kimichi Yuksu (김치 육수) is a clear broth from Korean traditional kimchi, not boiled. Most of those kimchi broth used are those with less pepper powder. The typical example is from sliced Chinese radish calleddongchimi (동치미), which is often used to make cold noodle dishes.
InIndonesian cuisine, there are many traditional soup bases to createkuah (soup or stock), acquired from vegetables, spices, meat or bones.
Santan is a rich and creamy thin white soup made fromcoconut milk. It is made by squeezing grated coconut flesh to acquire its oily juice. Thick coconut milk is usually used to make thicker sauce, while thin coconut milk are used to create soup. Sometimesturmeric is added to create golden-yellowish colour. Example of Indonesian traditional soups that employ coconut milk as a soup base aresayur lodeh and several variants ofsotos.[6]
Kuah asam is a light, fresh and sour thin soup made fromasam jawa (tamarind) juice. Example of soup employing tamarind issayur asem, vegetables stew in tamarind soup.
Kuah cuka, another variant of sour-tasting soup that simply usingvinegar instead of tamarind. Usually employed to create seafood soups.
Sayur bening literary means "clear soup", it is lightly seasoned only with small amount of garlic, shallot, andtemu kunci. Example of clearvegetable soup issayur bayam (spinach soup) andsayur oyong (okra soup).
Kaldu in Indonesian cuisine refer tobroth or stock acquired from boiling meat and/or bones. The broth might be acquired from chicken, beef and mutton. Example of Indonesian soup that employkaldu (meat broth) issop buntut andbakso (meatball noodle soup).[7]
Yukgaejang (육개장) is a spicy red soup made with beef strips, red pepper, and assorted vegetables (usually green and white onions, bean sprouts, among others); many variations include egg andrice orcellophane noodles dropped into the soup, and sometimes shrimp and other pieces ofseafood. Of the spicy Korean soups, 육개장 is very popular among both Koreans and non-Koreans.
Miyeok guk (미역국) is a soup made from boiled sliced beef andmiyeok (popularized aswakame in Japanese). It is believed to be good for the blood vessels and heart. Koreans traditionally eat this for birthday celebrations, or when a woman gives birth to a child.
Tteok guk (떡국) is a soup made with slices of rice cake. The base is usually beef or anchovy (멸치) stock along with the rice cake slices, and most variations also have sliced green onions, eggs dropped into the soup, and are usually served with strips or pieces of laver (김; many variations will be baked or fried and salted/seasoned). 떡국 is traditionally served on the lunar New Year, but is a favourite during the colder months.
Doenjang jjigae (된장 찌개) is a bean paste soup base. Usually served with at least tofu and green onions, many variations include other ingredients (including various meats or fishes but usually not egg, potatoes, and other vegetables). Miso is a less-concentrated, much simpler version of 된장.
Sundubu jjigae (순두부 찌개) is a spicy red stew (not so much a soup) very similar in ingredients and preparation to 육개장, but has dropped tofu (i.e. not the firm kind, but uncurdled tofu, calledsundubu in Korean) as a primary ingredient in addition to everything else, and will tend to favour seafood ingredients more heavily than meats. Usually served scalding hot and with the balance in favour of ingredients over fluid, 순두부 찌개 is also different from 육개장 in that the egg yolk is often placed in the soup intact (as opposed to the usual dropped egg technique in which the egg white and the egg yolk are broken up within the soup and thus cook within the soup in pieces, not as a single piece).
Soto ayam, Indonesian counterpart of chicken soup.
Indonesian soups are known to be flavoursome with generous amount ofbumbu spice mixture. Indonesian cuisine has a diverse variety of soups.[8] Some Indonesian soups may be served as a separate whole meal,[8] while others are lighter.[9]
Generally Indonesian soups and stews are grouped into three major groups with numbers of variants in between.
Soto refer to variety of Indonesian traditionally spiced meat soups, either in clear broth or in richcoconut milk-base soup, example includessoto ayam.
Sayur refer to traditional vegetables stews, such assayur asem.
Sop orsup usually refer to soups derived from western influences, such assop buntut.
Kwāti is a mixed soup of nine types of sprouted beans—black gram, green gram, chickpea, field bean, soybean, field pea, garden pea, cowpea and rice bean. It is eaten as the special dish on the full moon day of August.[10]
Broths are thin and generally made from vegetables and spices. They are typically eaten over steamed rice in ordinary lunches and dinners. Common broths includecanh chua rau đay andcanh chua cá lóc.
Hot pot (lẩu) is a popular traditional soup in Vietnam. Mushroom hot pot was popularized by the Ashima Restaurant chain in Vietnam.
A thick, sweet, porridge-like soup calledchè is eaten as a snack.
Bazhen tang (T: 八珍湯, S: 八珍汤; literally "eight-rarity/treasure soup"): When cooked with beaten egg, it is called "Bazhen danhua tang" (T: 八珍蛋花湯, S: 八珍蛋花汤; literally "eight treasure egg flower soup").[17] This formulation is the combination ofSijunzi tang (四君子湯) andSiwu tang (四物湯).
Shiquan tang (T: 十全湯, S: 十全汤; literally "ten-complete soup", or more idiomatically "complete/wholesome soup"): More often known by its full name "Shiquen dabu tang" (T: 十全大補湯, S: 十全大补汤; literally "complete/wholesome great restorative soup"). This formulation is an extension ofBazhen tang (八珍湯) with the addition ofCinnamomum aromaticum (肉桂) andAstragalus propinquus (黃芪)
Shark fin soup is aChinese soup made with shark's fin, crab meat and egg that is often served in banquets.
Driedtofu skin soup WithShiitake mushrooms and driedoysters. Base of soup from pork ribs and/or chicken broth.
Soto is a traditionalIndonesian soup mainly composed of broth, meat and vegetables with spices. Somesoto recipes uses clear broth, while some might uses coconut milk-based soup.
The Asian soup noodle is a large portion of long noodles served in a bowl of broth. In comparison, western noodle soup is more of a soup with small noodle pieces. The former dish is dominated by the carbohydrate while the latter dish is dominated by the soup liquid.
Bakso is an Indonesianmeatball noodle soup. The beef meatballs are served with rice vermicelli, yellow wheat noodle and vegetables in beef broth.
Phở is aVietnamese staple noodle soup. Its broth is made from boiling beef bones, ginger, and sweet spices (star anise, cinnamon, and cloves) over many hours.
Ramen is aJapanese noodle soup that comes in several varieties.
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