Jiû-hî ke

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Jiû-hî ke is a traditional soup based on cuttlefish. This dish is prepared with cuttlefish cooked with geng , which is a type of Hakka soup thickened with starch, in this case usually cornstarch or potato starch. The cuttlefish is cut into thin strips or formed into balls coated with fish paste, and then cooked with the thick broth. Tangy and mildly sweet, the soup is typically flavored with rice wine and bonito flakes, and contains bamboo shoots, carrots, wood ear mushrooms, and chopped daikon. Once the cold weather season begins in Taiwan, bowls of this warming and thick soup become a common sight at night markets. The soup is usually served piping hot, laced with a dollop of black rice vinegar, and seasoned with white pepper and freshly chopped basil or coriander.