What it is
Pork heart glass-noodle soup (豬心冬粉) is sliced pork heart in a light, clear broth over glass noodles (冬粉, dongfen), thin starch threads that turn translucent when cooked. Gentle heat leaves the heart crisp and tender rather than rubbery. Shops that make it often serve other offal the same way, such as kidney or tongue, and some offer bone marrow soup.
Where it came from
In Tainan, four shops share the same roots and much the same menu: A Ming (阿明) on Baoan Road (保安路), Huang's (黃氏) near the Cultural Centre, A Wen (阿文) and Da Pang (大胖). Huang's belongs to A Ming's elder sister. A Ming's shop has been open for close to 70 years, and he still prepares the offal as his father did. In Kaohsiung, Hsiu Ming in Cishan has served pork offal with glass noodles since 1986.
How it is made
The heart is sliced to order. At A Ming the slices go into a small aluminium cup, hot soup is poured over them, and the cup sits in a pot of hot water. The meat steeps rather than boils, a water-bath method that stops it overcooking. The broth is light, with fresh ginger, and the glass noodles absorb it as they sit.
How to eat it
In Tainan it is an evening and late-night bowl, and queues often form before opening. Bone marrow soup and herb-braised duck feet and wings are common extras, and the heart can be dipped in the house sauce. In Cishan it is a lunch dish, eaten with braised pork rice. Bring cash.
Around Taiwan
- Tainan
- A Ming on Baoan Road opens in the evening and stays busy late. It shares its roots and much of its menu with Huang's and with A Wen and Da Pang, which trade on Dazhi Road and Wennan Road.
- Kaohsiung
- Hsiu Ming (秀明豬心冬粉) has stood beside Cishan Old Street since 1986 and trades by day. Offal comes with glass noodles, egg noodles or rice, and a popular side is braised rice made with lean pork, under a fried egg.
