Tucheng Fish Maw Clear Soup with Milkfish Belly Introduction
Tainan's Tuchengzi is a major production area for milkfish, with local saltwater milkfish as the main ingredient for the restaurant. This is the key reason why Yuduzhengzai (Fish Belly Clear Soup) can stand out in a frequently changing market. Wang Mingqing, born in 1964, is the owner, and his father, WangGuocai, born in 1938, once sold milkfish belly soup from a cart during his early years. It was challenging to find parking in crowded areas and business was cold in less populated places, leading to the closure of his stall, which inspired Wang Mingqing to start his own business. When opening in the early morning, the first task at Yuduzhengzai is to simmer the broth. The bones of the milkfish are boiled vigorously first, then slowly simmered until closing time. The delicious broth plays an important role in the milkfish belly soup. A small pot holds the milkfish belly and shredded ginger, which are cooked in the broth, followed by a brief cooking of water spinach before serving, topped with diced celery and rice wine. Many people dislike the bones of milkfish, but Fish Belly Clear Soup's milkfish belly has the bones removed, so there’s no worry of getting caught by a bone. If you want a hearty meal, you can order milkfish belly porridge, which is made by cooking the milkfish belly in broth and setting it aside; then rice is placed in a bowl with celery, garlic, pepper, and cilantro, followed by pouring in the milkfish belly soup before serving. Locals from Tuchengzi enjoy rice combined with milkfish belly soup as porridge, but generally do not prefer eating rice and milkfish...
