hot and sour soup

{{short description|Chinese soup with sour and spicy ingredients}}

{{Infobox food

| name = Hot and sour soup

| image = Ping SJ hot & sour soup.JPG

| image_size = 250px

| caption =

| alternate_name =

| country = China

| region = Henan

| creator =

| course =

| type = Soup

| served =

| main_ingredient =

| variations =

| calories =

| other =

}}

{{Infobox Chinese

| s = 酸辣汤

| t = 酸辣湯

| l = "Sour and hot soup"

| p = suānlà tāng

| w = suan¹-la⁴ t'ang¹

| mi = {{IPAc-cmn|s|uan|1|l|a|4|-|t|ang|1}}

| j = syun1-laat6 tong1

| y = syūn-laaht tōng

| ci = {{IPAc-yue|s|yun|1|-|l|aat|6|-|t|ong|1}}

| tl = sng-lua̍h thng

}}

Hot and sour soup is a popular example of Chinese cuisine. Although it is often said to have originated in Sichuan, this is actually a variant of hulatang or "pepper hot soup" (胡辣汤) with added vinegar to enhance the sourness. This variation is found Henan cuisine.{{Cite book |last=尹同亮 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-kboDwAAQBAJ&dq=%E9%85%B8%E8%BE%A3%E6%B1%A4&pg=PT287 |title=字圣故里——漯河 |date=2011-01-01 |publisher=Beijing Book Co. Inc. |isbn=978-7-5349-4802-2 |language=zh}}{{Cite book |last=菜馍双全 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SE68DwAAQBAJ&dq=%E9%85%B8%E8%BE%A3%E6%B1%A4&pg=PT107 |title=馋是一枝花：优质吃货的修行札记 |date=2017-10-01 |publisher=Beijing Book Co. Inc. |isbn=978-7-5063-9674-5 |language=zh}}{{Cite book |last=Lin |first=Grace |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cQylEAAAQBAJ&dq=Hot+and+sour+soup+Henan&pg=PT136 |title=Chinese Menu: The History, Myths, and Legends Behind Your Favorite Foods |date=2023-09-12 |publisher=Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |isbn=978-0-316-48639-2 |language=en}} Also popular in Southeast Asia, India, Pakistan and the United States, it is a flexible soup which allows ingredients to be substituted or added depending on availability. For example, the American-Chinese version can be thicker as it commonly includes corn starch, while in Japan, sake is often added.

North America

=United States=

Soup preparation may use chicken or pork broth, or may use meat-free broth. Common basic ingredients in the American Chinese version include bamboo shoots, toasted sesame oil, wood ear mushrooms, cloud ear mushrooms, day lily buds, vinegar, egg, corn starch, and white pepper.{{cite web|url=http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/hotsoursoup.htm|title=Hot and Sour Soup|author=Rhonda Parkinson|work=About.com Food|access-date=2 February 2016|archive-date=23 August 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110823120849/http://chinesefood.about.com/od/chinesesouprecipes/r/hotsoursoup.htm|url-status=dead}} Other ingredients include button mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, or straw mushrooms and small slices of tofu skin.{{cite web | title=Hot and Sour Soup | website=Gimme Some Oven | date=2017-01-09 | url=https://www.gimmesomeoven.com/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/ | access-date=2019-11-25}} It is thicker than the Chinese cuisine versions due to the addition of cornstarch.

East Asia

=China=

There are myths surrounding the origin of "hot and sour soup," with the most popular one claiming it is from Sichuan. There is a similarly named dish made from glass noodles called "hot and sour noodles" ({{lang-zh|酸辣粉}}), but it is quite different from "hot and sour soup"({{lang-zh|酸辣汤}}). It is vastly different in ingredients, cooking and consuming. For instance, the spiciness in this noodle dish mainly comes from chilli and Sichuan pepper, rather than black pepper, which is not very common in Sichuan cuisine.{{Cite book |last=Dunlop |first=Fuchsia |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1mmPEAAAQBAJ |title=The Food of Sichuan |date=2019-10-15 |publisher=National Geographic Books |isbn=978-1-324-00483-7 |language=en}} In fact, the form of "hot and sour soup" can barely be found in Sichuan.

"Hot and sour soup" is claimed by the cuisine of Beijing. The Chinese hot and sour soup is usually meat-based, and often contains ingredients such as day lily buds, wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots, and tofu, in a broth that is sometimes flavored with pork blood.{{cite book|last=Foo|first=Susanna|author-link=Susanna Foo|url=https://archive.org/details/susannafoochines00susa|url-access=registration|quote=sour soup pork blood.|title=Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|page=[https://archive.org/details/susannafoochines00susa/page/82 82]|access-date=2 February 2016|isbn=978-0618254354|year=2002}} Sometimes, the soup would also have carrots and pieces of pork. It is typically made hot (spicy) by white pepper, and sour by Zhenjiang vinegar.

= Japan =

Japanese hot and sour soup is made with the traditional dashi broth flavored with vinegar, soy sauce and sake, and may include shiitake mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shoots and red chilis. The soup is thickened with eggs and potato starch.{{cite news |title=Japanese-Style Hot and Sour Soup |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/tv/kitchen/archives201027.html |access-date=30 January 2021 |agency=NHK World}}

South Asia

=India=

In India, this soup is made with red and green chillies, ginger, carrots, snow peas, tofu, soy sauce, rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar. It is viewed in India as being a Chinese soup.{{cite web |date=2012-02-21 |title=How to make Vegetable Hot and Sour Soup Recipe / Veg Hot and Sour Soup |url=http://www.tasty-indian-recipes.com/indo-chinese/vegetable-hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/ |access-date=2 February 2016 |work=Tasty Indian Recipes}}

=Pakistan=

Hot and sour soup is usually made in Pakistan with chicken, carrots, cabbage, chillies, corn flour, eggs, vinegar, soy sauce and salt.{{cite web|url=http://www.cookwithfaiza.net/hot-sour-soup-recipe/|title=HOT & SOUR SOUP|website=Cookwithfaiza.net|access-date=30 October 2018}} It may also contain bean sprout and capsicum.{{cite web|url=http://www.khanapakana.com/recipe/db709933-9a09-4609-aa20-1d1877424397/hot-and-sour-soup|title=Hot and Sour Soup - Zubaida Tariq|website=Khanapakana.com|access-date=30 October 2018|archive-date=5 March 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210305031730/http://www.khanapakana.com/recipe/db709933-9a09-4609-aa20-1d1877424397/hot-and-sour-soup|url-status=dead}}

Southeast Asia

=Cambodia=

{{Transliteration|km|Samlor machu pkong}} is a Cambodian sour soup flavored with lemon, chilis, prawns and/or shrimp. One of the most popular sour soups in Cambodia, it is eaten most often on special occasions.

{{Transliteration|km|Samlar machu yuon}} ({{lang|km|សម្លរម្ជូរយួន}}) is another common hot and sour soup that originated in the Mekong Delta region. It is made with fish, usually mudfish, walking catfish or tilapia, that has first been fried or broiled then added to the broth. Chicken may also be substituted. The ingredients which give the stew its characteristic flavor may vary depending on what is available locally to the cook. Possible ingredients include various combinations of pineapple, tomato, ngo gai, fried garlic, papaya, lotus root, Asian basil ({{lang|km|ជីក្រហម}}) and Bird's eye chili.

=Thailand=

Tom yum is a Thai soup flavored with lemon grass, lime, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, fish sauce and chilis.{{cite web|url=https://www.recipetineats.com/tom-yum-soup-thai/|author= Nagi|title=Tom Yum Soup (Thai soup)|date= 30 September 2019|access-date=22 January 2024}}

Sour curry ({{langx|th|แกงส้ม}}, {{RTGS|kaeng som}}) is a soup-like spicy and sour Thai curry.

=Philippines=

File:Pork Sinegang.jpg from the Philippines typically use tamarind as the souring agent]]

There are numerous sour soup dishes in the Philippines using souring agents that range from tamarind to unripe mangoes, guavas, butterfly tree leaves (alibangbang), citruses (including the native calamansi and biasong), santol, bilimbi (kamias or iba), gooseberry tree fruits (karmay), binukaw fruits (also batuan), and libas fruits, among others.{{cite web |title=The Souring Agents of Sinigang |url=http://pinoytrees.blogspot.com/2009/09/souring-agents-of-sinigang.html |website=Our Philippine Trees |date=25 September 2009 |access-date=17 April 2019}}{{cite web |title=Sinigang na Salmon at Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine |url=https://flavoursofiloilo.blogspot.com/2014/03/sinigang-na-salmon-at-bauhinia-filipino.html |website=Flavours of Iloilo |access-date=17 April 2019}} Most of these dishes are included in the umbrella term sinigang, but there are other regional dishes like sinampalukan, pinangat na isda, cansi, and linarang which are cooked slightly differently.{{cite web |last1=Thomas |first1=Amanda |title=A Fusion of Flavors: How to Make Bacolod City's Famous 'Kansi' |url=https://balay.ph/bacolod-famous-kansi-recipe/ |website=Balay.ph |access-date=23 October 2019}}{{cite web |last1=Angeles |first1=Mira |title=Sinampalukang Manok Recipe |url=https://www.yummy.ph/recipe/sinampalukang-manok-soup-recipe |website=Yummy.ph |access-date=13 April 2019}}{{cite web |title=Sinampalukang Manok |url=http://filipinostylerecipe.com/tag/sinampalukan/ |website=Filipino Style Recipe |date=20 July 2012 |access-date=13 April 2019}}{{cite book |last1=Fenix |first1=Michaela |title=Country Cooking: Philippine Regional Cuisines |date=2017 |publisher=Anvil Publishing, Incorporated |isbn=9789712730443 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qI04DwAAQBAJ&dq=linarang+bakasi&pg=PT91 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}{{cite web |last1=Belen |first1=Jun |title=How to Make Fish Pinangat (Fish Soured in Calamansi and Tomatoes) |url=http://blog.junbelen.com/2011/06/15/how-to-make-fish-pinangat-fish-soured-in-calamansi-and-tomatoes/ |website=Junblog |date=15 June 2011 |access-date=10 January 2019}} The dishes are related to the paksiw class of dishes which are soured using vinegar.{{cite news |last1=Pamaran |first1=Maan D'Asis |title=The Filipino-Spanish food connection |url=https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/philippine-daily-inquirer/20161012/282437053635905 |access-date=16 December 2018 |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=12 October 2016}} There is also the Chinese Filipino dish, known as 'Hot and Sour Soup' in English and in Hokkien {{lang-zh|t=|poj=Sng-loa̍h-thng / Sì-chhoan Sng-loa̍h-thng|l=|c=酸辣湯／四川酸辣湯|s=|p=}} or Mandarin {{lang-zh|t=|poj=|l=|c=酸辣湯／四川酸辣湯|s=|p=Suānlàtāng / Sìchuān suānlàtāng}} in Chinese menus of Chinese restaurants across the Philippines.{{Cite web |last=Merano |first=Vanjo |date=September 18, 2023 |title=Hot And Sour Soup |url=https://panlasangpinoy.com/hot-and-sour-soup/ |website=Panlasang Pinoy}}{{Cite web |title=Menu 菜單: Soup湯: Hot & Sour Soup 四川酸辣湯 |url=https://www.hapchan.com.ph/menu-soup.html#4-Hot%20&%20Sour%20Soup |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=Hap Chan |publisher=HapChan ® Trading and Management Corporation.}}{{Cite web |title=Menu: Noodles & Soup: Hot & Sour Soup |url=https://shilinphilippines.com/products/hot-sour-soup |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=Shi Lin |publisher=Shi Lin Philippines}}

=Vietnam=

Canh chua (literally "sour soup"), a sour soup indigenous to the Mekong River region of southern Vietnam. It is typically made with fish from the Mekong River or shrimp, pineapple, tomatoes (and sometimes also other vegetables), and bean sprouts, and flavored with tamarind and the lemony-scented herb ngò ôm (Limnophila aromatica). When made in style of a hot pot, canh chua is called lẩu canh chua.