Mention Teochew food and we invariably think of the Teochew porridge and Teochew-style steamed fish with preserved plums, tomatoes, ginger and hum choi (preserved salted mustard).
In her book titled The Heritage of Chinese Cooking, author Elizabeth Chong noted that the Teochew – or Chiu Chow (as it known in Cantonese) – community originates from Shantou or Swatow, about 270km east of Guangzhou. Their predominantly seafood-based cuisine is similar to the Cantonese albeit with stronger flavours using garlic, lemons, fermented beanpaste and fish sauce.
