Taiwanese Meatball (Ba Wan)

Name: Taiwanese Meatball (Ba Wan)
Cuisine: Taiwanese
Ingredients: 1 cup sweet potato starch; 1/2 cup corn starch; 200 grams pork shoulder; 1/4 cup bamboo shoots; 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 cup water; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/2 teaspoon white pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 clove garlic

Taiwanese Meatball, known locally as Ba Wan, is a translucent, chewy dumpling filled with a savory mixture of pork, bamboo shoots, and mushrooms. It is a beloved street food in Taiwan, symbolizing the island's inventive use of indigenous and imported ingredients to create unique textures and flavors.

11 ingredients

savoryumamislightly sweetchewyearthy

Culinary DNA Preview

Taiwanese70%

Chinese30%

Ingredients

sweet potato starch
1 cup
corn starch
1/2 cup
pork shoulder
200 grams
bamboo shoots
1/4 cup
shiitake mushrooms
1/4 cup
soy sauce
2 tablespoons
water
1 cup
sugar
1 teaspoon
white pepper
1/2 teaspoon
vegetable oil
2 tablespoons
garlic
1 clove

Method

Steps not available

Origin Story

Ba Wan originated in central Taiwan during the early 20th century as a convenient, hearty snack for laborers, reflecting a fusion of indigenous Taiwanese and Chinese culinary traditions.

Culinary DNA

Ingredient ancestry breakdown

Taiwanese70%

ingredients+techniques

Chinese30%

ingredient_origin

Techniques

steaming sautéing frying starch gelatinization

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