Yam ring (Chinese: 芋头圈; pinyin: yùtou quān), also known as yam basket, taro basket or prosperity basket (Chinese: 佛钵; pinyin: fúbō; Jyutping: fat6but3), is a Singaporean dish consisting of a deep-fried ring of mashed taro filled with separately stir-fried ingredients. Originally a vegetarian dish, it is now commonly served with chicken or seafood, and a staple at tze char restaurant.[3]
 Yam ring filled with vegetables, mushrooms, chicken and prawns, served on a bed of cashews and dried bee hoon noodles | |
| Alternative names | Yam basket, Taro basket or Prosperity basket |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | Singapore[1][2] |
| Region or state | East and Southeast Asia |
| Associated cuisine | Singapore[1][2] |
| Created by | Hooi Kok Wai[1][2] |
History
editThe dish is commonly credited to Hooi Kok Wai, the founder of the Dragon Phoenix Restaurant in Singapore and one of the "Four Heavenly Kings of Cantonese Cuisine" in the 1960s, chefs who cook Cantonese–style dishes with local Singaporean ingredients in Singapore.[1]
According to the legend, Chef Hooi invented the dish in 1958 to impress the vegetarian nuns who had brought up his orphaned wife to be, Leong Ah Lin.[2] The shape of the dish also resembles the alms bowl used by Buddhist monks, leading to its Chinese name, which literally translates as "fragrant Buddha bowl".[4]
Lai Wah Restaurant, set up by two other Heavenly Kings, also claims credit for inventing the dish.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d "Lai Wah Restaurant: Origins of Yu Sheng and Yam Ring". 13 May 2010.
- ^ a b c d "Did you know the Yam Ring Love Story?". Makansutra. 8 August 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2022.
- ^ "Best yam rings in Singapore". 30 December 2016.
- ^ "Stories | Dragon Phoenix @ Temasek Club".
- ^ "Lai Wah Restaurant". Archived from the original on 17 July 2021. Retrieved 17 July 2021.