Fish balls first originated as a means for street hawkers to process lower-quality fish meat. The meat would be molded into a ball shape, then deep fried until a golden-yellow colour was seen.[1] Curry was brought into Hong Kong by Indian settlers under British rule, and provided a convenient spice to compensate for the lack of freshness of the fish.[4][5] In the high-density environment of the 1970s, selling curry fish balls as part of street hawking provided a convenient means of sustaining a family, and the cheapness of the food also contributed to its popularity.
Curry fish balls in street hawking began to decline as government cleanliness campaign[zh] began to crack down on street vendors.[4] However, it was still a culturally important dish. Legal vendors in government-approved festivals, as well as traditional restaurants such as cha chaan teng or school cafeterias, continued selling curry fish balls as a cheap snack.[6] In areas with large amounts of Hong Kong diaspora, such as Toronto, curry fish balls are also sold as a nostalgia item.[7]
Curry fish balls are traditionally presented on bamboo skewers or in paper bags.[citation needed] Nowadays, it is more common to use paper or plastic cups to contain the fish balls.[8]
In popular culture
Curry fish balls are an important cultural icon in Hong Kong. In 2013, a tourism ranking by Cheapflights.com ranked Hong Kong street food as the best in the world, citing curry fish balls as one of the determining factors.[9] Curry fish balls are often used to represent Hong Kong food in international events and appear frequently in movies and TV shows set in Hong Kong.[10]
Curry fish balls have also become a symbol of localism in Hong Kong. The 2016 Mong Kok civil unrest is also often referred to as the "fishball revolution" due to the civil unrest beginning with a campaign to chase away street hawkers in the Sai Yeung Choi Street night market, many of whom were selling curry fish balls.[11][12]
References
12"咖喱魚蛋50年代流行至今"[Cury fish balls popular since the 1950s]. Apple Daily (in Chinese). 3 June 2006. Archived from the original on 10 August 2019.
↑"香港美食｜盤點中學小食部9大難忘美食 咖喱魚蛋、糯米雞、撈麵"[Hong Kong gourmet: The 9 most missed foods in high school cafeterias: fish balls, glutinous rice, stir-fry noodles]. hk01 (in Chinese). 23 October 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
↑余, 品潔; 謝, 文祥 (11 November 2023). "1秒到香港！咖喱魚蛋、砵仔糕 港食接受度高"[To Hong Kong in one second: Curry fish balls, potato cakes among most popular Hong Kong food]. TVBS (in Chinese). Retrieved 16 December 2023.
12"舌尖上的香港 從五道美食看香港百年變遷"[Hong Kong on the tip of the tongue: looking at a hundred years of Hong Kong history from the perspective of five popular foods]. Hong Kong Commercial Dily (in Chinese). 8 August 2017. Archived from the original on 27 January 2019.
↑"街頭小食系列 -- 咖哩魚蛋" (in Chinese). 中央廣播電臺. 31 August 2022. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
↑陳, 俊豪 (27 September 2023). "香港夜繽紛｜灣仔夜市熟食檔近半 有小食檔20元15粒魚蛋 檔主：唔會賣到咁嗰嗰有怨言"[Hong Kong Night Vibes: Cooked food stalls over half of the stalls in Wan Chai night market - Stall owner: Will not raise price to the extent that everyone is complaining]. Sing Tao Daily (in Chinese). Retrieved 18 December 2023.
↑"【香港街頭小食】太古廣場港式街頭美食檔 傳承香港傳統味道"[Hong Kong street food: Tai Koo plaza street food stall preserves traditional Hong Kong taste]. Sing Tao Canada (in Chinese). 28 December 2022. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
↑"港憑咖喱魚蛋居榜首"[Hong Kong gains first on leaderboard due to curry fish balls]. 東方日報 (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). 29 April 2013. Retrieved 3 December 2025.
↑"金融峰會｜金管局故宮博物館宴請環球金融領袖食「咖哩魚蛋」？ 介紹香港地獄行山挑戰？（圖集）"[FCA welcomes guests at Forbidden Palace museum, invites global financial leaders to eat curry fish ball and introduce Hong Kong's most difficult hiking routes]. 香港經濟日報HKET (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Retrieved 3 December 2025.
