Taiwan Food Atlas

Keelung Fish Ball Soup

Hand-pounded fish paste with a springy, chewy bite — every stall at Temple Street has it, each recipe hiding forty years of craft
📍 Keelung · Renai · Keelung Temple Street⭐ Featured · Soups🔖 Hand-pounded fish paste balls

Keelung fish ball soup is a Temple Street specialty made from hand-pounded scorpionfish, marlin, or shark paste served in a clear bonito broth with chives. It's the foundational soup at Temple Street: a clear broth, a few white balls, chive segments floating on top — seemingly simple, yet different at every stall. Temple Street's food culture traces back to the late Japanese colonial period, and after the war the Keelung city government formalized Ren 3rd Road and nearby streets into a fixed food district; fish ball soup is among its longest-running items, with old stalls such as Yu Wan Bo Zi (Uncle Fish Ball) operating for more than 70 years. Some stalls also serve yan wan, a pork-filled version unique to Temple Street.

Temple Street's food culture traces back to the late Japanese colonial period, when vendors gathered around Dianji Temple's worshippers and grew into a market; after the war, the Keelung city government formalized Ren 3rd Road and Ai 4th Road into a permanent food district with over 60 registered shops. One well-known old stall, Yu Wan Bo Zi (Uncle Fish Ball), was founded in 1950 (the 39th year of the Republic) and has sold only fish ball soup, tofu-skin dumplings, and vermicelli for more than 70 years.

What is Keelung Fish Ball Soup

Fish balls are made from fresh fish paste that is hand-pounded, mixed with salt and a small amount of sweet potato starch, shaped into round balls, and blanched in boiling water to set. The fish most commonly used at Keelung Temple Street are scorpionfish, marlin, or shark, each with different textures and flavors. The soup base is made by simmering bonito, seasoned with salt and a small amount of soy sauce, kept light to highlight the fish balls' own freshness. Some Temple Street stalls offer yan wan (also called stuffed fish balls): a fish paste exterior with minced pork inside — when bitten into, pork juices and fish paste release together for a more complex flavor.

Fish ball soup can be found at night markets across Taiwan, but the Keelung Temple Street version has its own local context: the fish supply chain of Keelung Harbor has long allowed Temple Street vendors to access fresher fish paste, maintaining the consistent quality of their hand-pounded fish balls. Old stalls have been serving for over 40 years; in local memory, fish ball soup holds a place close to home cooking — the soup most likely to appear at the start or end of a Temple Street meal. Each stall differs subtly but distinctly in fish species selection, the fineness of the paste, and the ratio of chives to celery.

How to eat like a local

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Sip the broth before eating the ballsThe bonito broth is a key part of the Temple Street fish ball soup experience. Take a sip of the clear soup first to sense the depth of flavor, then eat it together with the fish balls.
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Don't remove the chivesChive segments floating on top are a standard local touch. The mild pungency of chives complements the fresh sweetness of the fish paste with a refreshing effect — leave them in.
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Try the yan wanIf the stall offers yan wan (stuffed fish balls), it's worth ordering some to compare. The filled version has a different bite and more juice — it's a distinctive Temple Street item.
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Use it as a palate-cleanser soupThe Temple Street eating rhythm is to snack on a few fried or dry items, then finish with soup. Fish ball soup is well-suited to this cleansing role.

Local knowledge

Objective credentials

  • Keelung Temple Street fish ball soup is a long-standing permanent item at the night market, recorded in official Keelung Temple Street Night Market documentation.
  • Some of Temple Street's old fish ball soup stalls have been serving for over 40 years and are documented as long-term items in Temple Street's culinary history.
  • Scorpionfish and marlin are common nearshore catches at Keelung Harbor, supporting a local supply chain as fish paste ingredients.

Visitor tips

  • Fish ball soup stalls are spread across Temple Street, with options on both Ren 3rd Road and Ai 4th Road. Check the flow of customers at each stall to gauge which ones are popular.
  • Some old stalls stop serving once they sell out. On weekends and holidays, avoid visiting too late to prevent disappointment.
  • Fish ball soup prices vary by stall; versions with yan wan are usually priced slightly higher. Ask before ordering.

Sources: Keelung Temple Street Night Market permanent soup item records; long-standing local stall serving records. Photos pending Dio's on-site shoot for exclusive channel footage.

Frequently Asked Questions

What fish is used in Keelung fish ball soup?

The mainstream approach uses hand-pounded scorpionfish, marlin, or shark paste, each with different springiness and flavor.

How is yan wan different from regular fish balls?

Yan wan (stuffed fish balls) has a fish paste exterior with minced pork inside, releasing both pork juice and fish flavor when bitten — a Temple Street specialty.

How long has fish ball soup been served at Temple Street?

Temple Street's food culture dates to the late Japanese colonial period; old stalls like Yu Wan Bo Zi, founded in 1950, have been serving it for more than 70 years.

What's the local way to eat it?

Sip the clear bonito broth first to taste its depth, and leave the chives in rather than removing them for a fresher finish.

Sources

🗺️ View on the map ← All Keelung dishes