Inspired by canh chua, Vietnamese sweet and sour soup, the flavor of the broth comes from the combination of sour tamarind juice and chunks of sweet ripe pineapple.
In this seafood variant of the Filipino tinola, chunks of bangus (milkfish) belly fillets are simmered with chayote and spinach in fish broth seasoned with ginger and fermented fish sauce.
It’s not jjigae (which is a stew) and it’s not traditional Korean kimchi soup either. The heat is milder, there’s a subtle sweetness and the soup base is decidedly Japanese.
Lightly fried cubes of tofu, omelette torn into chunky pieces, bok choy and goji berries (wolfberries) are simmered in chicken bone broth seasoned with soy sauce and fish sauce.
Sweet corn, chopped carrot, browned bacon and scallions are stirred in chicken broth lightly thickened with roux made by combining butter with rendered bacon fat.