Chinese fish cake

Pasty product has been
made for centuries

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It's generally available year-round in fishmarkets or in supermarket seafood sections labeled "Chinese fish cake." The tannish-pink, pasty product is scooped up by the pound, but what is it really?

The basics: Chinese fish cake is a fish paste made in Hawaii, primarily from the oio, or bonefish, and awaawa, or ladyfish.

The origins of this particular local delicacy are unknown, but Asians have been making fish cake for centuries, with Japanese kamaboko being produced as early as the late 1300s. Fish cake was created to make use of types of white fish that had many hair-like bones that make the fish cumbersome to eat.

The paste is made by scraping the flesh off the fish, then mashing it and putting it through a fine sieve or cheese cloth. With oio and awaawa, the fishes' soft flesh makes it favorable for scraping. Water and a bit of salt are added to form a "cake" of pasty, almost jelly-like consistency.

This paste can then be cooked as is, but more often it is mixed with other flavorings and ingredients such as oyster sauce, cornstarch, egg, green onions, cilantro, etc., then steamed, boiled, deep-fried or pan-fried.

Storing: Fish-cake paste is quite perishable and should be used immediately after purchase. It may be stored a day or two at most in the refrigerator.

Use: Fish cake can be enjoyed in soups as a dumpling or fried tempura style as a tasty side dish. The following is a simple pan-fried dish that my mother has made for years.

Chinese Fish-cake Patties

3 cups Chinese fish cake paste (about 1-1/2 pounds)
1 cup cornstarch
5 teaspoons salt
5 tablespoons sugar
3 eggs
2 cups water
1 carrot, julienne
4 stalks green onions, chopped
4 to 5 teaspoons salt

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. On medium heat, pan fry spoonfuls of fish-cake mixture about 3-4 minutes on each side until lightly browned. Makes about 24 fish cakes.

Approximate nutrient analysis per cake (not including additional salt to taste): 95 calories, 4 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 40 mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium, 6 g protein and 8 g carbohydrate.

Where to buy: Fishmarkets such as Tamashiro Market or the seafood section at some supermarkets will carry Chinese fish cake depending on the availability of oio and awaawa. Prices generally run about $5 to $6 a pound.

Eleanor Nakama-Mitsunaga is
a free-lance food writer. Contact her
online through features@starbulletin.com

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